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Fecht S, Paracuellos P, Subramoni S, Tan CAZ, Ilangovan A, Costa TRD, Filloux A. Functionality of chimeric TssA proteins in the type VI secretion system reveals sheath docking specificity within their N-terminal domains. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4283. [PMID: 38769318 PMCID: PMC11106082 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48487-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
The genome of Pseudomonas aeruginosa encodes three type VI secretion systems, each comprising a dozen distinct proteins, which deliver toxins upon T6SS sheath contraction. The least conserved T6SS component, TssA, has variations in size which influence domain organisation and structure. Here we show that the TssA Nt1 domain interacts directly with the sheath in a specific manner, while the C-terminus is essential for oligomerisation. We built chimeric TssA proteins by swapping C-termini and showed that these can be functional even when made of domains from different TssA sub-groups. Functional specificity requires the Nt1 domain, while the origin of the C-terminal domain is more permissive for T6SS function. We identify two regions in short TssA proteins, loop and hairpin, that contribute to sheath binding. We propose a docking mechanism of TssA proteins with the sheath, and a model for how sheath assembly is coordinated by TssA proteins from this position.
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Affiliation(s)
- Selina Fecht
- CBRB Centre for Bacterial Resistance Biology, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Patricia Paracuellos
- CBRB Centre for Bacterial Resistance Biology, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Sujatha Subramoni
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637551, Singapore
| | - Casandra Ai Zhu Tan
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637551, Singapore
| | - Aravindan Ilangovan
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, E1 4NS, UK
| | - Tiago R D Costa
- CBRB Centre for Bacterial Resistance Biology, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Alain Filloux
- CBRB Centre for Bacterial Resistance Biology, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK.
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637551, Singapore.
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2
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Bano S, Tunio SA, Penfold CN, James R. The dynamics of colicin E9 release from Escherichia coli in native conditions. Lett Appl Microbiol 2024; 77:ovae042. [PMID: 38653724 DOI: 10.1093/lambio/ovae042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2023] [Revised: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Colicin (Col) plasmid contains colicin encoding genes arranged in an operon controlled by an SOS inducible promoter. Therefore, any external stresses to the host cell can induce the expression of the downstream genes in the Col operon, including a lysis gene. The lysis protein is involved in the extracellular release of colicin through lysis of the producer cells, which causes a decline in culture turbidity. However, it is not yet known that E. coli cells with the native pColE9-J plasmid hold the same level of cell death at the population level following a set of induced conditions. In this study, using a mitomycin C sensitivity assay along with a live dead staining method of detection, we showed that the native pColE9-J plasmid, which unusually carries an extended Col operon (ColE9) containing two lysis genes, did not confer a rapid decline in the culture turbidity following induction with mitomycin C. Interestingly a subset of the cells suffered perturbation of their outer membrane, which was not observed from single lysis mutant (∆celE or ∆celI) cells. This observed heterogeneity in the colicin E9 release leading to differential outer membrane perforation may bring a competitive advantage to these cells in a mixed population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaista Bano
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, United Kingdom
- Institute of Microbiology, Allama I. I Qazi campus, University of Sindh, Jamshoro 76080, Pakistan
| | - Sarfraz Ali Tunio
- Institute of Microbiology, Allama I. I Qazi campus, University of Sindh, Jamshoro 76080, Pakistan
| | - Christopher N Penfold
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, United Kingdom
| | - Richard James
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, United Kingdom
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3
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Ugolini GS, Wang M, Secchi E, Pioli R, Ackermann M, Stocker R. Microfluidic approaches in microbial ecology. LAB ON A CHIP 2024; 24:1394-1418. [PMID: 38344937 PMCID: PMC10898419 DOI: 10.1039/d3lc00784g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
Microbial life is at the heart of many diverse environments and regulates most natural processes, from the functioning of animal organs to the cycling of global carbon. Yet, the study of microbial ecology is often limited by challenges in visualizing microbial processes and replicating the environmental conditions under which they unfold. Microfluidics operates at the characteristic scale at which microorganisms live and perform their functions, thus allowing for the observation and quantification of behaviors such as growth, motility, and responses to external cues, often with greater detail than classical techniques. By enabling a high degree of control in space and time of environmental conditions such as nutrient gradients, pH levels, and fluid flow patterns, microfluidics further provides the opportunity to study microbial processes in conditions that mimic the natural settings harboring microbial life. In this review, we describe how recent applications of microfluidic systems to microbial ecology have enriched our understanding of microbial life and microbial communities. We highlight discoveries enabled by microfluidic approaches ranging from single-cell behaviors to the functioning of multi-cellular communities, and we indicate potential future opportunities to use microfluidics to further advance our understanding of microbial processes and their implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Stefano Ugolini
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, Institute of Environmental Engineering, ETH Zurich, Laura-Hezner-Weg 7, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Miaoxiao Wang
- Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Environmental Microbiology, Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Duebendorf, Switzerland
| | - Eleonora Secchi
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, Institute of Environmental Engineering, ETH Zurich, Laura-Hezner-Weg 7, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Roberto Pioli
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, Institute of Environmental Engineering, ETH Zurich, Laura-Hezner-Weg 7, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Martin Ackermann
- Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Environmental Microbiology, Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Duebendorf, Switzerland
- Laboratory of Microbial Systems Ecology, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering (ENAC), École Polytechnique Fédéral de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Roman Stocker
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, Institute of Environmental Engineering, ETH Zurich, Laura-Hezner-Weg 7, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland.
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4
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Woodworth MH, Conrad RE, Haldopoulos M, Pouch SM, Babiker A, Mehta AK, Sitchenko KL, Wang CH, Strudwick A, Ingersoll JM, Philippe C, Lohsen S, Kocaman K, Lindner BG, Hatt JK, Jones RM, Miller C, Neish AS, Friedman-Moraco R, Karadkhele G, Liu KH, Jones DP, Mehta CC, Ziegler TR, Weiss DS, Larsen CP, Konstantinidis KT, Kraft CS. Fecal microbiota transplantation promotes reduction of antimicrobial resistance by strain replacement. Sci Transl Med 2023; 15:eabo2750. [PMID: 37910603 PMCID: PMC10821315 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abo2750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
Multidrug-resistant organism (MDRO) colonization is a fundamental challenge in antimicrobial resistance. Limited studies have shown that fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) can reduce MDRO colonization, but its mechanisms are poorly understood. We conducted a randomized, controlled trial of FMT for MDRO decolonization in renal transplant recipients called PREMIX (NCT02922816). Eleven participants were enrolled and randomized 1:1 to FMT or an observation period followed by delayed FMT if stool cultures were MDRO positive at day 36. Participants who were MDRO positive after one FMT were treated with a second FMT. At last visit, eight of nine patients who completed all treatments were MDRO culture negative. FMT-treated participants had longer time to recurrent MDRO infection versus PREMIX-eligible controls who were not treated with FMT. Key taxa (Akkermansia muciniphila, Alistipes putredinis, Phocaeicola dorei, Phascolarctobacterium faecium, Alistipes species, Mesosutterella massiliensis, Barnesiella intestinihominis, and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii) from the single feces donor used in the study that engrafted in recipients and metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids and bile acids in FMT-responding participants uncovered leads for rational microbiome therapeutic and diagnostic development. Metagenomic analyses revealed a previously unobserved mechanism of MDRO eradication by conspecific strain competition in an FMT-treated subset. Susceptible Enterobacterales strains that replaced baseline extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing strains were not detectable in donor microbiota manufactured as FMT doses but in one case were detectable in the recipient before FMT. These data suggest that FMT may provide a path to exploit strain competition to reduce MDRO colonization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael H. Woodworth
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine; Atlanta, Georgia, 30322, USA
- Emory Antibiotic Resistance Center; Atlanta, Georgia, 30322, USA
| | - Roth E Conrad
- Ocean Science & Engineering, School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology; Atlanta, Georgia, 30332, USA
| | | | - Stephanie M. Pouch
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine; Atlanta, Georgia, 30322, USA
- Emory Antibiotic Resistance Center; Atlanta, Georgia, 30322, USA
| | - Ahmed Babiker
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine; Atlanta, Georgia, 30322, USA
- Emory Antibiotic Resistance Center; Atlanta, Georgia, 30322, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine; Atlanta, Georgia, 30322, USA
| | - Aneesh K. Mehta
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine; Atlanta, Georgia, 30322, USA
- Emory Transplant Center; Atlanta, Georgia, 30322, USA
| | - Kaitlin L. Sitchenko
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine; Atlanta, Georgia, 30322, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine; Atlanta, Georgia, 30322, USA
| | - Charlotte H. Wang
- Emory College of Arts and Sciences, Emory University; Atlanta, Georgia, 30322, USA
| | - Amanda Strudwick
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine; Atlanta, Georgia, 30322, USA
| | - Jessica M. Ingersoll
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine; Atlanta, Georgia, 30322, USA
| | - Cécile Philippe
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine; Atlanta, Georgia, 30322, USA
| | - Sarah Lohsen
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine; Atlanta, Georgia, 30322, USA
| | - Kumru Kocaman
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology; Atlanta, Georgia, 30332, USA
| | - Blake G. Lindner
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology; Atlanta, Georgia, 30332, USA
| | - Janet K. Hatt
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology; Atlanta, Georgia, 30332, USA
| | - Rheinallt M. Jones
- Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine; Atlanta, Georgia, 30322, USA
| | - Candace Miller
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine; Atlanta, Georgia, 30322, USA
| | - Andrew S. Neish
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine; Atlanta, Georgia, 30322, USA
| | - Rachel Friedman-Moraco
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine; Atlanta, Georgia, 30322, USA
| | | | - Ken H. Liu
- Clinical Biomarkers Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Emory University; Atlanta, Georgia, 30322, USA
| | - Dean P. Jones
- Clinical Biomarkers Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Emory University; Atlanta, Georgia, 30322, USA
| | - C. Christina Mehta
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University; Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Thomas R. Ziegler
- Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Lipids, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine; Atlanta, Georgia, 30322, USA
| | - David S. Weiss
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine; Atlanta, Georgia, 30322, USA
- Emory Antibiotic Resistance Center; Atlanta, Georgia, 30322, USA
| | | | | | - Colleen S. Kraft
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine; Atlanta, Georgia, 30322, USA
- Emory Antibiotic Resistance Center; Atlanta, Georgia, 30322, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine; Atlanta, Georgia, 30322, USA
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5
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Goel A, Halami PM. Structural and biosynthetic diversity of plantaricins from Lactiplantibacillus. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2023; 107:5635-5649. [PMID: 37493805 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-023-12692-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023]
Abstract
Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (L. plantarum) produces an antimicrobial peptide known as plantaricin. Plantaricin-producing L. plantarum is of interest for its gut-friendly nature, wide range of sugar utilization, palatability, and probiotic attributes, making it a better candidate for the food industry. Numerous strains of plantaricin-producing L. plantarum have been isolated from different ecological niches and found to follow different mechanisms for plantaricin production. The mechanism of plantaricin production is sensitive to environmental factors; therefore, any alteration in the optimum conditions can inhibit/halt bacteriocin production. To regain the lost or hidden plantaricin-producing character of the L. plantarum strains under ideal laboratory conditions, it is essential to understand the mechanism of plantaricin production. Previously, discrete information on various mechanisms of plantaricin production has been elaborated. However, based on the literature analysis, we observed that a systematic classification of plantaricins produced by L. plantarum is not explored. Hence, we aim to collect information about rapidly emerging plantaricins and distribute them among the different classes of bacteriocin, followed by classifying them based on different mechanisms of plantaricin production. This may help scaleup the bacteriocin production at industrial levels, which is otherwise challenging to achieve. This will also help the reader understand plantaricins and their mechanism of plantaricin production to a deeper extent and to characterize/reproduce the peptide where plantaricin production is a hidden character. KEY POINTS: • L. plantarum produces the antimicrobial compound plantaricin. • L. plantarum has different regulatory operons which control plantaricin production. • Based on the regulatory operon, the mechanism of plantaricin production is different.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aditi Goel
- Microbiology and Fermentation Technology Department, CSIR-Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysore, 570 020, India
| | - Prakash Motiram Halami
- Microbiology and Fermentation Technology Department, CSIR-Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysore, 570 020, India.
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6
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Barona-Gómez F, Chevrette MG, Hoskisson PA. On the evolution of natural product biosynthesis. Adv Microb Physiol 2023; 83:309-349. [PMID: 37507161 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ampbs.2023.05.001] [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] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
Natural products are the raw material for drug discovery programmes. Bioactive natural products are used extensively in medicine and agriculture and have found utility as antibiotics, immunosuppressives, anti-cancer drugs and anthelminthics. Remarkably, the natural role and what mechanisms drive evolution of these molecules is relatively poorly understood. The exponential increase in genome and chemical data in recent years, coupled with technical advances in bioinformatics and genetics have enabled progress to be made in understanding the evolution of biosynthetic gene clusters and the products of their enzymatic machinery. Here we discuss the diversity of natural products, incorporating the mechanisms that govern evolution of metabolic pathways and how this can be applied to biosynthetic gene clusters. We build on the nomenclature of natural products in terms of primary, integrated, secondary and specialised metabolism and place this within an ecology-evolutionary-developmental biology framework. This eco-evo-devo framework we believe will help to clarify the nature and use of the term specialised metabolites in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marc G Chevrette
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Sciences, University of Florida, Museum Drive, Gainesville, FL, United States; University of Florida Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Mowry Road, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Paul A Hoskisson
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Cathedral Street, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
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7
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Kuhn T, Junier P, Bshary R, Terrettaz C, Gonzalez D, Richter XYL. Nutrients and flow shape the cyclic dominance games between Escherichia coli strains. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20210503. [PMID: 36934746 PMCID: PMC10024984 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 03/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Evolutionary game theory has provided various models to explain the coexistence of competing strategies, one of which is the rock-paper-scissors (RPS) game. A system of three Escherichia coli strains-a toxin-producer, a resistant and a sensitive-has become a classic experimental model for studying RPS games. Previous experimental and theoretical studies, however, often ignored the influence of ecological factors such as nutrients and toxin dynamics on the evolutionary game dynamics. In this work, we combine experiments and modelling to study how these factors affect competition dynamics. Using three-dimensional printed mini-bioreactors, we tracked the frequency of the three strains in different culturing media and under different flow regimes. Although our experimental system fulfilled the requirements of cyclic dominance, we did not observe clear cycles or long-term coexistence between strains. We found that both nutrients and flow rates strongly impacted population dynamics. In our simulations, we explicitly modelled the release, removal and diffusion of toxin. We showed that the amount of toxin that is retained in the system is a simple indicator that can predict competition outcomes across broad parameter space. Moreover, our simulation results suggest that high rates of toxin diffusion might have prevented cyclic patterns from emerging in our experimental system. This article is part of the theme issue 'Half a century of evolutionary games: a synthesis of theory, application and future directions'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thierry Kuhn
- Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Rue Emile-Argand 11, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Pilar Junier
- Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Rue Emile-Argand 11, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Redouan Bshary
- Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Rue Emile-Argand 11, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Céline Terrettaz
- Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Rue Emile-Argand 11, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Diego Gonzalez
- Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Rue Emile-Argand 11, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Xiang-Yi Li Richter
- Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Rue Emile-Argand 11, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
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8
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Rudzite M, Subramoni S, Endres RG, Filloux A. Effectiveness of Pseudomonas aeruginosa type VI secretion system relies on toxin potency and type IV pili-dependent interaction. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011428. [PMID: 37253075 PMCID: PMC10281587 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The type VI secretion system (T6SS) is an antibacterial weapon that is used by numerous Gram-negative bacteria to gain competitive advantage by injecting toxins into adjacent prey cells. Predicting the outcome of a T6SS-dependent competition is not only reliant on presence-absence of the system but instead involves a multiplicity of factors. Pseudomonas aeruginosa possesses 3 distinct T6SSs and a set of more than 20 toxic effectors with diverse functions including disruption of cell wall integrity, degradation of nucleic acids or metabolic impairment. We generated a comprehensive collection of mutants with various degrees of T6SS activity and/or sensitivity to each individual T6SS toxin. By imaging whole mixed bacterial macrocolonies, we then investigated how these P. aeruginosa strains gain a competitive edge in multiple attacker/prey combinations. We observed that the potency of single T6SS toxin varies significantly from one another as measured by monitoring the community structure, with some toxins acting better in synergy or requiring a higher payload. Remarkably the degree of intermixing between preys and attackers is also key to the competition outcome and is driven by the frequency of contact as well as the ability of the prey to move away from the attacker using type IV pili-dependent twitching motility. Finally, we implemented a computational model to better understand how changes in T6SS firing behaviours or cell-cell contacts lead to population level competitive advantages, thus providing conceptual insight applicable to all types of contact-based competition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Rudzite
- MRC Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sujatha Subramoni
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Robert G. Endres
- Centre for Integrative Systems Biology and Bioinformatics, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Alain Filloux
- MRC Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
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9
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Smith WPJ, Wucher BR, Nadell CD, Foster KR. Bacterial defences: mechanisms, evolution and antimicrobial resistance. Nat Rev Microbiol 2023:10.1038/s41579-023-00877-3. [PMID: 37095190 DOI: 10.1038/s41579-023-00877-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 45.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023]
Abstract
Throughout their evolutionary history, bacteria have faced diverse threats from other microorganisms, including competing bacteria, bacteriophages and predators. In response to these threats, they have evolved sophisticated defence mechanisms that today also protect bacteria against antibiotics and other therapies. In this Review, we explore the protective strategies of bacteria, including the mechanisms, evolution and clinical implications of these ancient defences. We also review the countermeasures that attackers have evolved to overcome bacterial defences. We argue that understanding how bacteria defend themselves in nature is important for the development of new therapies and for minimizing resistance evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- William P J Smith
- Division of Genomics, Infection and Evolution, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - Benjamin R Wucher
- Department of Biological sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Carey D Nadell
- Department of Biological sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Kevin R Foster
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
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10
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Abstract
Bacteria commonly live in surface-associated communities where steep gradients of antibiotics and other chemical compounds can occur. While many bacterial species move on surfaces, we know surprisingly little about how such antibiotic gradients affect cell motility. Here, we study the behaviour of the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa in stable spatial gradients of several antibiotics by tracking thousands of cells in microfluidic devices as they form biofilms. Unexpectedly, these experiments reveal that bacteria use pili-based ('twitching') motility to navigate towards antibiotics. Our analyses suggest that this behaviour is driven by a general response to the effects of antibiotics on cells. Migrating bacteria reach antibiotic concentrations hundreds of times higher than their minimum inhibitory concentration within hours and remain highly motile. However, isolating cells - using fluid-walled microfluidic devices - reveals that these bacteria are terminal and unable to reproduce. Despite moving towards their death, migrating cells are capable of entering a suicidal program to release bacteriocins that kill other bacteria. This behaviour suggests that the cells are responding to antibiotics as if they come from a competing colony growing nearby, inducing them to invade and attack. As a result, clinical antibiotics have the potential to lure bacteria to their death.
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11
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Kleshnina M, McKerral JC, González-Tokman C, Filar JA, Mitchell JG. Shifts in evolutionary balance of phenotypes under environmental changes. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:220744. [PMID: 36340514 PMCID: PMC9627443 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.220744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Environments shape communities by driving individual interactions and the evolutionary outcome of competition. In static, homogeneous environments a robust, evolutionary stable, outcome is sometimes reachable. However, inherently stochastic, this evolutionary process need not stabilize, resulting in a dynamic ecological state, often observed in microbial communities. We use evolutionary games to study the evolution of phenotypic competition in dynamic environments. Under the assumption that phenotypic expression depends on the environmental shifts, existing periodic relationships may break or result in formation of new periodicity in phenotypic interactions. The exact outcome depends on the environmental shift itself, indicating the importance of understanding how environments influence affected systems. Under periodic environmental fluctuations, a stable state preserving dominant phenotypes may exist. However, rapid environmental shifts can lead to critical shifts in the phenotypic evolutionary balance. This might lead to environmentally favoured phenotypes dominating making the system vulnerable. We suggest that understanding of the robustness of the system's current state is necessary to anticipate when it will shift to a new equilibrium via understanding what level of perturbations the system can take before its equilibrium changes. Our results provide insights in how microbial communities can be steered to states where they are dominated by desired phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jody C. McKerral
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
| | | | - Jerzy A. Filar
- School of Mathematics and Physics, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - James G. Mitchell
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
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12
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Maviza TP, Zarechenskaia AS, Burmistrova NR, Tchoub AS, Dontsova OA, Sergiev PV, Osterman IA. RtcB2-PrfH Operon Protects E. coli ATCC25922 Strain from Colicin E3 Toxin. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:6453. [PMID: 35742896 PMCID: PMC9223846 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23126453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Revised: 05/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
In the bid to survive and thrive in an environmental setting, bacterial species constantly interact and compete for resources and space in the microbial ecosystem. Thus, they have adapted to use various antibiotics and toxins to fight their rivals. Simultaneously, they have evolved an ability to withstand weapons that are directed against them. Several bacteria harbor colicinogenic plasmids which encode toxins that impair the translational apparatus. One of them, colicin E3 ribotoxin, mediates cleavage of the 16S rRNA in the decoding center of the ribosome. In order to thrive upon deployment of such ribotoxins, competing bacteria may have evolved counter-conflict mechanisms to prevent their demise. A recent study demonstrated the role of PrfH and the RtcB2 module in rescuing a damaged ribosome and the subsequent re-ligation of the cleaved 16S rRNA by colicin E3 in vitro. The rtcB2-prfH genes coexist as gene neighbors in an operon that is sporadically spread among different bacteria. In the current study, we report that the RtcB2-PrfH module confers resistance to colicin E3 toxicity in E. coli ATCC25922 cells in vivo. We demonstrated that the viability of E. coli ATCC25922 strain that is devoid of rtcB2 and prfH genes is impaired upon action of colicin E3, in contrast to the parental strain which has intact rtcB2 and prfH genes. Complementation of the rtcB2 and prfH gene knockout with a high copy number-plasmid (encoding either rtcB2 alone or both rtcB2-prfH operon) restored resistance to colicin E3. These results highlight a counter-conflict system that may have evolved to thwart colicin E3 activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tinashe P. Maviza
- Center of Life Sciences, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow 121205, Russia; (T.P.M.); (A.S.Z.); (O.A.D.); (P.V.S.)
| | - Anastasiia S. Zarechenskaia
- Center of Life Sciences, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow 121205, Russia; (T.P.M.); (A.S.Z.); (O.A.D.); (P.V.S.)
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics and Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119992, Russia; (N.R.B.); (A.S.T.)
| | - Nadezhda R. Burmistrova
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics and Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119992, Russia; (N.R.B.); (A.S.T.)
| | - Andrey S. Tchoub
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics and Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119992, Russia; (N.R.B.); (A.S.T.)
| | - Olga A. Dontsova
- Center of Life Sciences, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow 121205, Russia; (T.P.M.); (A.S.Z.); (O.A.D.); (P.V.S.)
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics and Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119992, Russia; (N.R.B.); (A.S.T.)
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119992, Russia
| | - Petr V. Sergiev
- Center of Life Sciences, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow 121205, Russia; (T.P.M.); (A.S.Z.); (O.A.D.); (P.V.S.)
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics and Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119992, Russia; (N.R.B.); (A.S.T.)
| | - Ilya A. Osterman
- Center of Life Sciences, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow 121205, Russia; (T.P.M.); (A.S.Z.); (O.A.D.); (P.V.S.)
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics and Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119992, Russia; (N.R.B.); (A.S.T.)
- Genetics and Life Sciences Research Center, Sirius University of Science and Technology, 1 Olympic Ave., Sochi 354340, Russia
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13
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Parker JK, Davies BW. Microcins reveal natural mechanisms of bacterial manipulation to inform therapeutic development. MICROBIOLOGY (READING, ENGLAND) 2022; 168:001175. [PMID: 35438625 PMCID: PMC10233263 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.001175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Microcins are an understudied and poorly characterized class of antimicrobial peptides. Despite the existence of only 15 examples, all identified from the Enterobacteriaceae, microcins display diversity in sequence, structure, target cell uptake, cytotoxic mechanism of action and target specificity. Collectively, these features describe some of the unique means nature has contrived for molecules to cross the 'impermeable' barrier of the Gram-negative bacterial outer membrane and inflict cytotoxic effects. Microcins appear to be widely dispersed among different species and in different environments, where they function in regulating microbial communities in diverse ways, including through competition. Growing evidence suggests that microcins may be adapted for therapeutic uses such as antimicrobial drugs, microbiome modulators or facilitators of peptide uptake into cells. Advancing our biological, ecological and biochemical understanding of the roles of microcins in bacterial interactions, and learning how to regulate and modify microcin activity, is essential to enable such therapeutic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Bryan William Davies
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
- John Ring LaMontagne Center for Infectious Diseases, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
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14
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Xia L, Miao Y, Cao A, Liu Y, Liu Z, Sun X, Xue Y, Xu Z, Xun W, Shen Q, Zhang N, Zhang R. Biosynthetic gene cluster profiling predicts the positive association between antagonism and phylogeny in Bacillus. Nat Commun 2022; 13:1023. [PMID: 35197480 PMCID: PMC8866423 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28668-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the driving forces and intrinsic mechanisms of microbial competition is a fundamental question in microbial ecology. Despite the well-established negative correlation between exploitation competition and phylogenetic distance, the process of interference competition that is exemplified by antagonism remains controversial. Here, we studied the genus Bacillus, a commonly recognized producer of multifarious antibiotics, to explore the role of phylogenetic patterns of biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) in mediating the relationship between antagonism and phylogeny. Comparative genomic analysis revealed a positive association between BGC distance and phylogenetic distance. Antagonistic tests demonstrated that the inhibition phenotype positively correlated with both phylogenetic and predicted BGC distance, especially for antagonistic strains possessing abundant BGCs. Mutant-based verification showed that the antagonism was dependent on the BGCs that specifically harbored by the antagonistic strain. These findings highlight that BGC-phylogeny coherence regulates the positive correlation between congeneric antagonism and phylogenetic distance, which deepens our understanding of the driving force and intrinsic mechanism of microbial interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liming Xia
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab of Solid Organic Waste Utilization, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Solid Organic Wastes, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, 210095, Nanjing, Jiangsu, P. R. China
| | - Youzhi Miao
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab of Solid Organic Waste Utilization, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Solid Organic Wastes, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, 210095, Nanjing, Jiangsu, P. R. China
| | - A'li Cao
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab of Solid Organic Waste Utilization, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Solid Organic Wastes, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, 210095, Nanjing, Jiangsu, P. R. China
| | - Yan Liu
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab of Solid Organic Waste Utilization, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Solid Organic Wastes, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, 210095, Nanjing, Jiangsu, P. R. China
| | - Zihao Liu
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab of Solid Organic Waste Utilization, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Solid Organic Wastes, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, 210095, Nanjing, Jiangsu, P. R. China
| | - Xinli Sun
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab of Solid Organic Waste Utilization, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Solid Organic Wastes, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, 210095, Nanjing, Jiangsu, P. R. China
| | - Yansheng Xue
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab of Solid Organic Waste Utilization, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Solid Organic Wastes, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, 210095, Nanjing, Jiangsu, P. R. China
| | - Zhihui Xu
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab of Solid Organic Waste Utilization, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Solid Organic Wastes, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, 210095, Nanjing, Jiangsu, P. R. China
| | - Weibing Xun
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab of Solid Organic Waste Utilization, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Solid Organic Wastes, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, 210095, Nanjing, Jiangsu, P. R. China
| | - Qirong Shen
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab of Solid Organic Waste Utilization, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Solid Organic Wastes, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, 210095, Nanjing, Jiangsu, P. R. China
| | - Nan Zhang
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab of Solid Organic Waste Utilization, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Solid Organic Wastes, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, 210095, Nanjing, Jiangsu, P. R. China.
| | - Ruifu Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources Collection and Preservation, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 100081, Beijing, P. R. China.
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15
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Giometto A, Nelson DR, Murray AW. Antagonism between killer yeast strains as an experimental model for biological nucleation dynamics. eLife 2021; 10:e62932. [PMID: 34866571 PMCID: PMC8730724 DOI: 10.7554/elife.62932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Antagonistic interactions are widespread in the microbial world and affect microbial evolutionary dynamics. Natural microbial communities often display spatial structure, which affects biological interactions, but much of what we know about microbial antagonism comes from laboratory studies of well-mixed communities. To overcome this limitation, we manipulated two killer strains of the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, expressing different toxins, to independently control the rate at which they released their toxins. We developed mathematical models that predict the experimental dynamics of competition between toxin-producing strains in both well-mixed and spatially structured populations. In both situations, we experimentally verified theory's prediction that a stronger antagonist can invade a weaker one only if the initial invading population exceeds a critical frequency or size. Finally, we found that toxin-resistant cells and weaker killers arose in spatially structured competitions between toxin-producing strains, suggesting that adaptive evolution can affect the outcome of microbial antagonism in spatial settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Giometto
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Cornell UniversityIthacaUnited States
- Department of Physics, Harvard UniversityCambridgeUnited States
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard UniversityCambridgeUnited States
| | - David R Nelson
- Department of Physics, Harvard UniversityCambridgeUnited States
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard UniversityCambridgeUnited States
- John A Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard UniversityCambridgeUnited States
| | - Andrew W Murray
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard UniversityCambridgeUnited States
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16
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Rebuffat S. Ribosomally synthesized peptides, foreground players in microbial interactions: recent developments and unanswered questions. Nat Prod Rep 2021; 39:273-310. [PMID: 34755755 DOI: 10.1039/d1np00052g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
It is currently well established that multicellular organisms live in tight association with complex communities of microorganisms including a large number of bacteria. These are immersed in complex interaction networks reflecting the relationships established between them and with host organisms; yet, little is known about the molecules and mechanisms involved in these mutual interactions. Ribosomally synthesized peptides, among which bacterial antimicrobial peptides called bacteriocins and microcins have been identified as contributing to host-microbe interplays, are either unmodified or post-translationally modified peptides. This review will unveil current knowledge on these ribosomal peptide-based natural products, their interplay with the host immune system, and their roles in microbial interactions and symbioses. It will include their major structural characteristics and post-translational modifications, the main rules of their maturation pathways, and the principal ecological functions they ensure (communication, signalization, competition), especially in symbiosis, taking select examples in various organisms. Finally, we address unanswered questions and provide a framework for deciphering big issues inspiring future directions in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvie Rebuffat
- Laboratory Molecules of Communication and Adaptation of Microorganisms (MCAM, UMR 7245 CNRS-MNHN), National Museum of Natural History (MNHN), National Centre of Scientific Research (CNRS), CP 54, 57 rue Cuvier 75005, Paris, France.
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17
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Sibinelli-Sousa S, de Araújo-Silva AL, Hespanhol JT, Bayer-Santos E. Revisiting the steps of Salmonella gut infection with a focus on antagonistic interbacterial interactions. FEBS J 2021; 289:4192-4211. [PMID: 34546626 DOI: 10.1111/febs.16211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Revised: 09/12/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
A commensal microbial community is established in the mammalian gut during its development, and these organisms protect the host against pathogenic invaders. The hallmark of noninvasive Salmonella gut infection is the induction of inflammation via effector proteins secreted by the type III secretion system, which modulate host responses to create a new niche in which the pathogen can overcome the colonization resistance imposed by the microbiota. Several studies have shown that endogenous microbes are important to control Salmonella infection by competing for resources. However, there is limited information about antimicrobial mechanisms used by commensals and pathogens during these in vivo disputes for niche control. This review aims to revisit the steps that Salmonella needs to overcome during gut colonization-before and after the induction of inflammation-to achieve an effective infection. We focus on a series of reported and hypothetical antagonistic interbacterial interactions in which both contact-independent and contact-dependent mechanisms might define the outcome of the infection.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Julia Takuno Hespanhol
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ethel Bayer-Santos
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil
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18
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Niehus R, Oliveira NM, Li A, Fletcher AG, Foster KR. The evolution of strategy in bacterial warfare via the regulation of bacteriocins and antibiotics. eLife 2021; 10:69756. [PMID: 34488940 PMCID: PMC8423443 DOI: 10.7554/elife.69756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteria inhibit and kill one another with a diverse array of compounds, including bacteriocins and antibiotics. These attacks are highly regulated, but we lack a clear understanding of the evolutionary logic underlying this regulation. Here, we combine a detailed dynamic model of bacterial competition with evolutionary game theory to study the rules of bacterial warfare. We model a large range of possible combat strategies based upon the molecular biology of bacterial regulatory networks. Our model predicts that regulated strategies, which use quorum sensing or stress responses to regulate toxin production, will readily evolve as they outcompete constitutive toxin production. Amongst regulated strategies, we show that a particularly successful strategy is to upregulate toxin production in response to an incoming competitor’s toxin, which can be achieved via stress responses that detect cell damage (competition sensing). Mirroring classical game theory, our work suggests a fundamental advantage to reciprocation. However, in contrast to classical results, we argue that reciprocation in bacteria serves not to promote peaceful outcomes but to enable efficient and effective attacks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rene Niehus
- Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, United States
| | - Nuno M Oliveira
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Aming Li
- Center for Systems and Control, College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Institue for Artificial Intelligence, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Alexander G Fletcher
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom.,The Bateson Centre, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Kevin R Foster
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.,Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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19
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Hierro JL, Callaway RM. The Ecological Importance of Allelopathy. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY EVOLUTION AND SYSTEMATICS 2021. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-051120-030619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Allelopathy (i.e., chemical interaction among species) was originally conceived as inclusive of positive and negative effects of plants on other plants, and we adopt this view. Most studies of allelopathy have been phenomenological, but we focus on studies that have explored the ecological significance of this interaction. The literature suggests that studies of allelopathy have been particularly important for three foci in ecology: species distribution, conditionality of interactions, and maintenance of species diversity. There is evidence that allelopathy influences local distributions of plant species around the world. Allelopathic conditionality appears to arise through coevolution, and this is a mechanism for plant invasions. Finally, allelopathy promotes species coexistence via intransitive competition, modifications of direct interactions, and (co)evolution. Recent advances additionally suggest that coexistence might be favored through biochemical recognition. The preponderance of phenomenological studies notwithstanding, allelopathy has broad ecological consequences. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics, Volume 52 is November 2021. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- José L. Hierro
- Laboratorio de Ecología, Biogeografía y Evolución Vegetal (LEByEV), Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra y Ambientales de La Pampa (INCITAP), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET)–Universidad Nacional de La Pampa (UNLPam), 6300 Santa Rosa, La Pampa, Argentina
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, UNLPam, 6300 Santa Rosa, La Pampa, Argentina
| | - Ragan M. Callaway
- Division of Biological Sciences and the Institute on Ecosystems, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana 59812, USA
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20
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Abstract
Bacteria secrete antibiotics to inhibit their competitors, but the presence of competitors can determine whether these toxins are produced. Here, we study the role of the competitive and resource environment on antibiotic production in Streptomyces, bacteria renowned for their production of antibiotics. One of the most important ways that bacteria compete for resources and space is by producing antibiotics that inhibit competitors. Because antibiotic production is costly, the biosynthetic gene clusters coordinating their synthesis are under strict regulatory control and often require “elicitors” to induce expression, including cues from competing strains. Although these cues are common, they are not produced by all competitors, and so the phenotypes causing induction remain unknown. By studying interactions between 24 antibiotic-producing strains of streptomycetes, we show that strains commonly inhibit each other’s growth and that this occurs more frequently if strains are closely related. Next, we show that antibiotic production is more likely to be induced by cues from strains that are closely related or that share secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs). Unexpectedly, antibiotic production is less likely to be induced by competitors that inhibit the growth of a focal strain, indicating that cell damage is not a general cue for induction. In addition to induction, antibiotic production often decreases in the presence of a competitor, although this response was not associated with genetic relatedness or overlap in BGCs. Finally, we show that resource limitation increases the chance that antibiotic production declines during competition. Our results reveal the importance of social cues and resource availability in the dynamics of interference competition in streptomycetes.
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21
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Droplet printing reveals the importance of micron-scale structure for bacterial ecology. Nat Commun 2021; 12:857. [PMID: 33558498 PMCID: PMC7870943 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-20996-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Accepted: 01/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteria often live in diverse communities where the spatial arrangement of strains and species is considered critical for their ecology. However, a test of this hypothesis requires manipulation at the fine scales at which spatial structure naturally occurs. Here we develop a droplet-based printing method to arrange bacterial genotypes across a sub-millimetre array. We print strains of the gut bacterium Escherichia coli that naturally compete with one another using protein toxins. Our experiments reveal that toxin-producing strains largely eliminate susceptible non-producers when genotypes are well-mixed. However, printing strains side-by-side creates an ecological refuge where susceptible strains can persist in large numbers. Moving to competitions between toxin producers reveals that spatial structure can make the difference between one strain winning and mutual destruction. Finally, we print different potential barriers between competing strains to understand how ecological refuges form, which shows that cells closest to a toxin producer mop up the toxin and protect their clonemates. Our work provides a method to generate customised bacterial communities with defined spatial distributions, and reveals that micron-scale changes in these distributions can drive major shifts in ecology. The spatial arrangement of bacterial strains and species within microbial communities is considered crucial for their ecology. Here, Krishna Kumar et al. use a droplet-based printing method to arrange different bacterial genotypes across a sub-millimetre array, and show that micron-scale changes in spatial distributions can drive major shifts in ecology.
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22
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Lee JA, Baugh AC, Shevalier NJ, Strand B, Stolyar S, Marx CJ. Cross-Feeding of a Toxic Metabolite in a Synthetic Lignocellulose-Degrading Microbial Community. Microorganisms 2021; 9:321. [PMID: 33557371 PMCID: PMC7914493 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9020321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Revised: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The recalcitrance of complex organic polymers such as lignocellulose is one of the major obstacles to sustainable energy production from plant biomass, and the generation of toxic intermediates can negatively impact the efficiency of microbial lignocellulose degradation. Here, we describe the development of a model microbial consortium for studying lignocellulose degradation, with the specific goal of mitigating the production of the toxin formaldehyde during the breakdown of methoxylated aromatic compounds. Included are Pseudomonas putida, a lignin degrader; Cellulomonas fimi, a cellulose degrader; and sometimes Yarrowia lipolytica, an oleaginous yeast. Unique to our system is the inclusion of Methylorubrum extorquens, a methylotroph capable of using formaldehyde for growth. We developed a defined minimal "Model Lignocellulose" growth medium for reproducible coculture experiments. We demonstrated that the formaldehyde produced by P. putida growing on vanillic acid can exceed the minimum inhibitory concentration for C. fimi, and, furthermore, that the presence of M. extorquens lowers those concentrations. We also uncovered unexpected ecological dynamics, including resource competition, and interspecies differences in growth requirements and toxin sensitivities. Finally, we introduced the possibility for a mutualistic interaction between C. fimi and M. extorquens through metabolite exchange. This study lays the foundation to enable future work incorporating metabolomic analysis and modeling, genetic engineering, and laboratory evolution, on a model system that is appropriate both for fundamental eco-evolutionary studies and for the optimization of efficiency and yield in microbially-mediated biomass transformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica A. Lee
- NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844, USA; (A.C.B.); (N.J.S.); (B.S.); (S.S.)
- Institute for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Studies, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844, USA
- Institute for Modeling Collaboration and Innovation, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844, USA
| | - Alyssa C. Baugh
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844, USA; (A.C.B.); (N.J.S.); (B.S.); (S.S.)
- Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Nicholas J. Shevalier
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844, USA; (A.C.B.); (N.J.S.); (B.S.); (S.S.)
| | - Brandi Strand
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844, USA; (A.C.B.); (N.J.S.); (B.S.); (S.S.)
| | - Sergey Stolyar
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844, USA; (A.C.B.); (N.J.S.); (B.S.); (S.S.)
| | - Christopher J. Marx
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844, USA; (A.C.B.); (N.J.S.); (B.S.); (S.S.)
- Institute for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Studies, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844, USA
- Institute for Modeling Collaboration and Innovation, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844, USA
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23
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Booth SC, Rice SA. Influence of interspecies interactions on the spatial organization of dual species bacterial communities. Biofilm 2021; 2:100035. [PMID: 33447820 PMCID: PMC7798468 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioflm.2020.100035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2020] [Revised: 07/09/2020] [Accepted: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Interspecies interactions in bacterial biofilms have important impacts on the composition and function of communities in natural and engineered systems. To investigate these interactions, synthetic communities provide experimentally tractable systems. Biofilms grown on agar-surfaces have been used for investigating the eco-evolutionary and biophysical forces that determine community composition and spatial distribution of bacteria. Prior studies have used genetically identical bacterial strains and strains with specific mutations, that express different fluorescent proteins, to investigate intraspecies interactions. Here, we investigated interspecies interactions and, specifically, determined the community composition and spatial distribution in synthetic communities of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pseudomonas protegens and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Using quantitative microscopic imaging, we found that interspecies interactions in multispecies colonies were influenced by type IV pilus mediated motility, extracellular matrix secretion, environmental parameters, and these effects were also influenced by the specific partner in the dual species combinations. These results indicate that the patterns observable in mixed species colonies can be used to understand the mechanisms that drive interspecies interactions, which are dependent on the interplay between specific species’ physiology and environmental conditions. Spatial patterns in bacterial colonies are species and interaction dependent. Surface motility and extracellar matrix production affect interspecies interactions. Agar surface colonies show how bacteria interact in biofilms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean C Booth
- The Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Singapore
| | - Scott A Rice
- The Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Singapore.,The School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.,The Ithree Institute, The University of Technology Sydney, Australia
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24
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Jansen KB, Inns PG, Housden NG, Hopper JTS, Kaminska R, Lee S, Robinson CV, Bayley H, Kleanthous C. Bifurcated binding of the OmpF receptor underpins import of the bacteriocin colicin N into Escherichia coli. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:9147-9156. [PMID: 32398259 PMCID: PMC7335789 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra120.013508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2020] [Revised: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Colicins are Escherichia coli-specific bacteriocins that translocate across the outer bacterial membrane by a poorly understood mechanism. Group A colicins typically parasitize the proton-motive force-linked Tol system in the inner membrane via porins after first binding an outer membrane protein receptor. Recent studies have suggested that the pore-forming group A colicin N (ColN) instead uses lipopolysaccharide as a receptor. Contrary to this prevailing view, using diffusion-precipitation assays, native state MS, isothermal titration calorimetry, single-channel conductance measurements in planar lipid bilayers, and in vivo fluorescence imaging, we demonstrate here that ColN uses OmpF both as its receptor and translocator. This dual function is achieved by ColN having multiple distinct OmpF-binding sites, one located within its central globular domain and another within its disordered N terminus. We observed that the ColN globular domain associates with the extracellular surface of OmpF and that lipopolysaccharide (LPS) enhances this binding. Approximately 90 amino acids of ColN then translocate through the porin, enabling the ColN N terminus to localize within the lumen of an OmpF subunit from the periplasmic side of the membrane, a binding mode reminiscent of that observed for the nuclease colicin E9. We conclude that bifurcated engagement of porins is intrinsic to the import mechanism of group A colicins.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Renata Kaminska
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Sejeong Lee
- Chemistry Research laboratory, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Carol V Robinson
- Chemistry Research laboratory, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Hagan Bayley
- Chemistry Research laboratory, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Colin Kleanthous
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
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25
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Abstract
Bacteria have evolved a wide range of mechanisms to harm and kill their competitors, including chemical, mechanical and biological weapons. Here we review the incredible diversity of bacterial weapon systems, which comprise antibiotics, toxic proteins, mechanical weapons that stab and pierce, viruses, and more. The evolution of bacterial weapons is shaped by many factors, including cell density and nutrient abundance, and how strains are arranged in space. Bacteria also employ a diverse range of combat behaviours, including pre-emptive attacks, suicidal attacks, and reciprocation (tit-for-tat). However, why bacteria carry so many weapons, and why they are so often used, remains poorly understood. By comparison with animals, we argue that the way that bacteria live - often in dense and genetically diverse communities - is likely to be key to their aggression as it encourages them to dig in and fight alongside their clonemates. The intensity of bacterial aggression is such that it can strongly affect communities, via complex coevolutionary and eco-evolutionary dynamics, which influence species over space and time. Bacterial warfare is a fascinating topic for ecology and evolution, as well as one of increasing relevance. Understanding how bacteria win wars is important for the goal of manipulating the human microbiome and other important microbial systems.
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26
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Granato ET, Foster KR. The Evolution of Mass Cell Suicide in Bacterial Warfare. Curr Biol 2020; 30:2836-2843.e3. [PMID: 32502408 PMCID: PMC7372221 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Revised: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Behaviors that cause the death of an actor are typically strongly disfavored by natural selection, and yet many bacteria undergo cell lysis to release anti-competitor toxins [1-5]. This behavior is most easily explained if only a small proportion of cells die to release toxins and help their clonemates, but the frequency of cells that actually lyse during bacterial warfare is unknown. The challenge is finding a way to distinguish cells that have undergone programmed suicide from those that were simply killed by a competitor's toxin. We developed a two-color fluorescence reporter assay in Escherichia coli to overcome this problem. This revealed conditions where nearly all cells undergo programmed lysis. Specifically, adding a DNA-damaging toxin (DNase colicin) from another strain induced mass cell suicide where ∼85% of cells lysed to release their own toxins. Time-lapse 3D confocal microscopy showed that self-lysis occurs locally at even higher frequencies (∼94%) at the interface between toxin-producing colonies. By exposing E. coli that do not perform lysis to the DNase colicin, we found that mass lysis occurs when cells are going to die anyway from toxin exposure. From an evolutionary perspective, this renders the behavior cost-free as these cells have zero reproductive potential. This helps to explain how mass cell suicide can evolve, as any small benefit to surviving clonemates can lead to this retaliatory strategy being favored by natural selection. Our findings have parallels to the suicidal attacks of social insects [6-9], which are also performed by individuals with low reproductive potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa T Granato
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, OX1 3SZ Oxford, UK; Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, 3 South Parks Road, OX1 3QU Oxford, UK.
| | - Kevin R Foster
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, OX1 3SZ Oxford, UK; Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, 3 South Parks Road, OX1 3QU Oxford, UK.
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27
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Samuels AN, Roggiani M, Smith KA, Zhu J, Goulian M, Kohli RM. Deciphering the Role of Colicins during Colonization of the Mammalian Gut by Commensal E. coli. Microorganisms 2020; 8:microorganisms8050664. [PMID: 32370119 PMCID: PMC7284606 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8050664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Revised: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Colicins are specific and potent toxins produced by Enterobacteriaceae that result in the rapid elimination of sensitive cells. Colicin production is commonly found throughout microbial populations, suggesting its potential importance for bacterial survival in complex microbial environments. Nonetheless, as colicin biology has been predominately studied using synthetic models, it remains unclear how colicin production contributes to survival and fitness of a colicin-producing commensal strain in a natural environment. To address this gap, we took advantage of MP1, an E. coli strain that harbors a colicinogenic plasmid and is a natural colonizer of the murine gut. Using this model, we validated that MP1 is competent for colicin production and then directly interrogated the importance of colicin production and immunity for MP1 survival in the murine gut. We showed that colicin production is dispensable for sustained colonization in the unperturbed gut. A strain lacking colicin production or immunity shows minimal fitness defects and can resist displacement by colicin producers. This report extends our understanding of the role that colicin production may play for E. coli during gut colonization and suggests that colicin production is not essential for a commensal to persist in its physiologic niche in the absence of exogenous challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda N. Samuels
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA;
- Graduate Group on Cell and Molecular Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA;
| | - Manuela Roggiani
- Department of Biology, School of Arts and Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; (M.R.); (K.A.S.); (M.G.)
| | - Kathryn A. Smith
- Department of Biology, School of Arts and Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; (M.R.); (K.A.S.); (M.G.)
- Department of Biology, Solenis LLC., Wilmington, DE 19803, USA
| | - Jun Zhu
- Graduate Group on Cell and Molecular Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA;
| | - Mark Goulian
- Department of Biology, School of Arts and Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; (M.R.); (K.A.S.); (M.G.)
| | - Rahul M. Kohli
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-(215)-573-7523
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28
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Dynamics of ColicinE2 production and release determine the competitive success of a toxin-producing bacterial population. Sci Rep 2020; 10:4052. [PMID: 32132643 PMCID: PMC7055308 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-61086-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2019] [Accepted: 02/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The release of toxins is one mechanism used by bacterial species to establish dominance over competitors, but how the dynamics of toxin expression determine the competitive success of a toxin-producing population is largely unknown. Here, we investigate how the expression dynamics of ColicinE2 - a toxic bacteriocin - affect competition between toxin-producing and toxin-sensitive strains of Escherichia coli. We demonstrate that, in addition to genetic modifications in the toxin expression system, alterations of the growth medium can be used to modulate the timing of toxin production and the amount of toxin released. Thus cells that release the toxin at later times can accumulate more colicin. In experiments, we found that delaying toxin release does not significantly alter competition outcome. However, our theoretical analysis allowed us to assess the relative contributions of release time and toxin level to the competitive success of the producer strain, that might counteract each other in experiments. The results reveal that the importance of delaying toxin release lies in increasing the toxin amount. This is a more effective strategy for the toxin-producing strain than prompt discharge of the colicin. In summary, our study shows how the toxin release dynamics influence the competitive success of the toxin-producing bacterial population.
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29
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Garcia-Garcera M, Rocha EPC. Community diversity and habitat structure shape the repertoire of extracellular proteins in bacteria. Nat Commun 2020; 11:758. [PMID: 32029728 PMCID: PMC7005277 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-14572-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2019] [Accepted: 01/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
We test the hypothesis that the frequency and cost of extracellular proteins produced by bacteria, which often depend on cooperative processes, vary with habitat structure and community diversity. The integration of the environmental distribution of bacteria (using 16S datasets) and their genomes shows that bacteria living in more structured habitats encode more extracellular proteins. In contrast, the effect of community diversity depends on protein function: it’s positive for proteins implicated in antagonistic interactions and negative for those involved in nutrient acquisition. Extracellular proteins are costly and endure stronger selective pressure for low cost and for low diffusivity in less structured habitats and in more diverse communities. Finally, Bacteria found in multiple types of habitats, including host-associated generalists, encode more extracellular proteins than niche-restricted bacteria. These results show that ecological variables, notably habitat structure and community diversity, shape the evolution of the repertoires of genes encoding extracellular proteins and thus affect the ability of bacteria to manipulate their environment. Microbes secrete a repertoire of extracellular proteins to serve various functions depending on the ecological context. Here the authors examine how bacterial community composition and habitat structure affect the extracellular proteins, showing that generalist species and those living in more structured environments produce more extracellular proteins, and that costs of production are lower in more diverse communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Garcia-Garcera
- Microbial Evolutionary Genomics, Institut Pasteur, CNRS, UMR3525, 28, rue Dr Roux, 75015, Paris, France. .,Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Batiment Biophore, Quartier SORGE, 1003, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Eduardo P C Rocha
- Microbial Evolutionary Genomics, Institut Pasteur, CNRS, UMR3525, 28, rue Dr Roux, 75015, Paris, France.
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30
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Rezzoagli C, Granato ET, Kümmerli R. Harnessing bacterial interactions to manage infections: a review on the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa as a case example. J Med Microbiol 2020; 69:147-161. [PMID: 31961787 PMCID: PMC7116537 DOI: 10.1099/jmm.0.001134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
During infections, bacterial pathogens can engage in a variety of interactions with each other, ranging from the cooperative sharing of resources to deadly warfare. This is especially relevant in opportunistic infections, where different strains and species often co-infect the same patient and interact in the host. Here, we review the relevance of these social interactions during opportunistic infections using the human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa as a case example. In particular, we discuss different types of pathogen-pathogen interactions, involving both cooperation and competition, and elaborate on how they impact virulence in multi-strain and multi-species infections. We then review evolutionary dynamics within pathogen populations during chronic infections. We particuarly discuss how local adaptation through niche separation, evolutionary successions and antagonistic co-evolution between pathogens can alter virulence and the damage inflicted on the host. Finally, we outline how studying bacterial social dynamics could be used to manage infections. We show that a deeper appreciation of bacterial evolution and ecology in the clinical context is important for understanding microbial infections and can inspire novel treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Rezzoagli
- Department of Quantitative Biomedicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Elisa T. Granato
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Rolf Kümmerli
- Department of Quantitative Biomedicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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31
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Allsopp LP, Bernal P, Nolan LM, Filloux A. Causalities of war: The connection between type VI secretion system and microbiota. Cell Microbiol 2020; 22:e13153. [PMID: 31872954 PMCID: PMC7540082 DOI: 10.1111/cmi.13153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2019] [Revised: 11/23/2019] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Microbiota niches have space and/or nutrient restrictions, which has led to the coevolution of cooperation, specialisation, and competition within the population. Different animal and environmental niches contain defined resident microbiota that tend to be stable over time and offer protection against undesired intruders. Yet fluxes can occur, which alter the composition of a bacterial population. In humans, the microbiota are now considered a key contributor to maintenance of health and homeostasis, and its alteration leads to dysbiosis. The bacterial type VI secretion system (T6SS) transports proteins into the environment, directly into host cells or can function as an antibacterial weapon by killing surrounding competitors. Upon contact with neighbouring cells, the T6SS fires, delivering a payload of effector proteins. In the absence of an immunity protein, this results in growth inhibition or death of prey leading to a competitive advantage for the attacker. It is becoming apparent that the T6SS has a role in modulating and shaping the microbiota at multiple levels, which is the focus of this review. Discussed here is the T6SS, its role in competition, key examples of its effect upon the microbiota, and future avenues of research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke P Allsopp
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Patricia Bernal
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura M Nolan
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Alain Filloux
- Department of Life Sciences, MRC Centre for Molecular Bacteriology and Infection, Imperial College London, London, UK
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32
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Paquette SJ, Reuter T. Properties of an Antimicrobial Molecule Produced by an Escherichia coli Champion. Antibiotics (Basel) 2019; 9:E6. [PMID: 31877806 PMCID: PMC7168273 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics9010006] [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: 10/24/2019] [Revised: 12/03/2019] [Accepted: 12/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Over recent decades, the number and frequency of severe pathogen infections have been increasing. Pathogen mitigation strategies in human medicine or in livestock operations are vital to combat emerging arsenals of bacterial virulence and defense mechanisms. Since the emergence of antimicrobial resistance, the competitive nature of bacteria has been considered for the potential treatment or mitigation of pathogens. Previously, we identified a strong E. coli competitor with probiotic properties producing a diffusible antimicrobial molecule(s) that inhibited the growth of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC). Our current objective was to isolate and examine the properties of this antimicrobial molecule(s). Molecules were isolated by filter sterilization after 12 h incubation, and bacterial inhibition was compared to relevant controls. Isolated antimicrobial molecule(s) and controls were subjected to temperature, pH, or protease digestion treatments. Changes in inhibition properties were evaluated by comparing the incremental cell growth in the presence of treated and untreated antimicrobial molecule(s). No treatment affected the antimicrobial molecule(s) properties of STEC inhibition, suggesting that at least one molecule produced is an efficacious microcin. The molecule persistence to physiochemical and enzymatic treatments could open a wide window to technical industry-scale applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah-Jo Paquette
- Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, #100-5401 1st Ave. South, Lethbridge, AB T1J 4V6, Canada;
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lethbridge, 4401 University Drive West, Lethbridge, AB T1J 4V6, Canada
| | - Tim Reuter
- Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, #100-5401 1st Ave. South, Lethbridge, AB T1J 4V6, Canada;
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33
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Hellweger FL, Vick C, Rückbeil F, Bucci V. Fresh Ideas Bloom in Gut Healthcare to Cross-Fertilize Lake Management. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2019; 53:14099-14112. [PMID: 31647664 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.9b04218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Harmful bacteria may be the most significant threat to human gut and lake ecosystem health, and they are often managed using similar tools, like poisoning with antibiotics or algicides. Out-of-the-box thinking in human microbiome engineering is leading to novel methods, like engineering bacteria to kill pathogens, "persuade" them not to produce toxins, or "mop up" their toxins. The bacterial agent can be given a competitive edge via an exclusive nutrient, and they can be engineered to commit suicide once their work is done. Viruses can kill pathogens with specific DNA sequences or knock out their antibiotic resistance genes using CRISPR technology. Some of these ideas may work for lakes. We critically review novel methods for managing harmful bacteria in the gut from the perspective of managing toxic cyanobacteria in lakes, and discuss practical aspects such as modifying bacteria using genetic engineering or directed evolution, mass culturing and controlling the agents. A key knowledge gap is in the ecology of strains, like toxigenic vs nontoxigenic Microcystis, including allelopathic and Black Queen interactions. Some of the "gut methods" may have future potential for lakes, but there presently is no substitute for established management approaches, including reducing N and P nutrient inputs, and mitigating climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ferdi L Hellweger
- Water Quality Engineering , Technical University of Berlin , Berlin 10623 , Germany
| | - Carsten Vick
- Water Quality Engineering , Technical University of Berlin , Berlin 10623 , Germany
| | - Fiona Rückbeil
- Water Quality Engineering , Technical University of Berlin , Berlin 10623 , Germany
| | - Vanni Bucci
- Department of Bioengineering , University of Massachusetts Dartmouth , North Dartmouth , Massachusetts 02747 , United States
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34
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Maldonado-Barragán A, West SA. The cost and benefit of quorum sensing-controlled bacteriocin production in Lactobacillus plantarum. J Evol Biol 2019; 33:101-111. [PMID: 31610055 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2019] [Revised: 09/25/2019] [Accepted: 10/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Bacteria eliminate competitors via 'chemical warfare' with bacteriocins. Some species appear to adjust bacteriocin production conditionally in response to the social environment. We tested whether variation in the cost and benefit of producing bacteriocins could explain such conditional behaviour, in the bacteria Lactobacillus plantarum. We found that: (a) bacterial bacteriocin production could be upregulated by either the addition of a synthetic autoinducer peptide (PLNC8IF; signalling molecule), or by a plasmid which constitutively encodes for the production of this peptide; (b) bacteriocin production is costly, leading to reduced growth when grown in poor and, to a lesser extent, in rich media; (c) bacteriocin production provides a fitness advantage, when grown in competition with sensitive strains; and (d) the fitness benefits provided by bacteriocin production are greater at higher cell densities. These results show how the costs and benefits of upregulating bacteriocin production can depend upon abiotic and biotic conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Stuart A West
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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35
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Hofer U. Provoking your enemies to kill each other. Nat Rev Microbiol 2018; 16:520. [DOI: 10.1038/s41579-018-0062-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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