1
|
Vu NT, Kim H, Lee S, Hwang IS, Kwon CT, Oh CS. Bacteriophage cocktail for biocontrol of soft rot disease caused by Pectobacterium species in Chinese cabbage. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2024; 108:11. [PMID: 38159122 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-023-12881-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Pectobacterium spp. are necrotrophic plant pathogens that cause the soft rot disease in Chinese cabbage, resulting in severe yield loss. The use of conventional antimicrobial agents, copper-based bactericides, and antibiotics has encountered several limitations, such as bioaccumulation on plants and microbial resistance. Bacteriophages (phages) are considered promising alternative antimicrobial agents against diverse phytopathogens. In this study, we isolated and characterized two virulent phages (phiPccP-2 and phiPccP-3) to develop a phage cocktail. Morphological and genomic analyses revealed that two phages belonged to the Tevenvirinae and Mccorquodalevirinae subfamilies, respectively. The phiPccP-2 and phiPccP-3 phages, which have a broad host range, were stable at various environmental conditions, such as various pHs and temperatures and exposure to ultraviolet light. The phage cocktail developed using these two lytic phages inhibited the emergence of phage-resistant bacteria compared to single-phage treatments in in vitro challenge assays. The phage cocktail treatment effectively prevented the development of soft rot symptom in matured Chinese cabbage leaves. Additionally, the phage cocktail comprising three phages (phiPccP-1, phiPccP-2, and phiPccP-3) showed superior biocontrol efficacy against the mixture of Pectobacterium strains in Chinese cabbage seedlings. These results suggest that developing phage cocktails is an effective approach for biocontrol of soft rot disease caused by Pectobacterium strains in crops compared to single-phage treatments. KEY POINTS: •Two newly isolated Pectobacterium phages, phiPccP-2 and phiPccP-3, infected diverse Pectobacterium species and effectively inhibited the emergence of phage-resistant bacteria. •Genomic and physiological analyses suggested that both phiPccP-2 and phiPccP-3 are lytic phages and that their lytic activities are stable in the environmental conditions under which Chinese cabbage grows. •Treatment using a phage cocktail comprising phiPccP-2 and phiPccP-3 efficiently suppressed soft rot disease in detached mature leaves and seedlings of Chinese cabbage, indicating the applicability of the phage cocktail as an alternative antimicrobial agent.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nguyen Trung Vu
- Department of Green-Bio Science, Kyung Hee University, Yongin, 17104, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyeongsoon Kim
- Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Soohong Lee
- Department of Green-Bio Science, Kyung Hee University, Yongin, 17104, Republic of Korea
| | - In Sun Hwang
- Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Choon-Tak Kwon
- Department of Green-Bio Science, Kyung Hee University, Yongin, 17104, Republic of Korea
| | - Chang-Sik Oh
- Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea.
- Plant Genomics and Breeding Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Ooi VY, Yeh TY. Recent Advances and Mechanisms of Phage-Based Therapies in Cancer Treatment. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:9938. [PMID: 39337427 PMCID: PMC11432602 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25189938] [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: 08/01/2024] [Revised: 09/07/2024] [Accepted: 09/12/2024] [Indexed: 09/30/2024] Open
Abstract
The increasing interest in bacteriophage technology has prompted its novel applications to treat different medical conditions, most interestingly cancer. Due to their high specificity, manipulability, nontoxicity, and nanosize nature, phages are promising carriers in targeted therapy and cancer immunotherapy. This approach is particularly timely, as current challenges in cancer research include damage to healthy cells, inefficiency in targeting, obstruction by biological barriers, and drug resistance. Some cancers are being kept at the forefront of phage research, such as colorectal cancer and HCC, while others like lymphoma, cervical cancer, and myeloma have not been retouched in a decade. Common mechanisms are immunogenic antigen display on phage coats and the use of phage as transporters to carry drugs, genes, and other molecules. To date, popular phage treatments being tested are gene therapy and phage-based vaccines using M13 and λ phage, with some vaccines having advanced to human clinical trials. The results from most of these studies have been promising, but limitations in phage-based therapies such as reticuloendothelial system clearance or diffusion inefficiency must be addressed. Before phage-based therapies for cancer can be successfully used in oncology practice, more in-depth research and support from local governments are required.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Ting-Yu Yeh
- Agricultural Biotechnology Laboratory, Auxergen Inc., Riti Rossi Colwell Center, 701 E Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 21202, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Nagar V, Godambe LP, Newase SK, Tyagi A. Characterization and Genome Analyses of the Novel Phages P2 and vB_AhydM-H1 Targeting Aeromonas hydrophila. PHAGE (NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y.) 2024; 5:162-172. [PMID: 39372357 PMCID: PMC11447392 DOI: 10.1089/phage.2024.0014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/08/2024]
Abstract
Background The emergence of antibiotic-resistant Aeromonas hydrophila strains presents a global health and aquaculture challenge. Bacteriophages offer promise as an alternative to antibiotics for treating drug-resistant Aeromonas infections. Methods Two new phages, P2 and vB_AhydM-H1, targeting pathogenic A. hydrophila were isolated from sewage water. Their morphology, growth characteristics, lytic activity, stability, and genomes were analyzed. Results Phage P2, a member of genus Ahphunavirus, and vB_AhydM-H1, a novel member of genus Pahsextavirus, exhibited narrow host ranges, extended latent periods, and typical burst sizes. Both phages remained stable at 40°C for 1 h and within a pH range of 4 to 10 for 3 h. The genomes of P2 and vB_AhydM-H1 spanned 42,660 bp with 49 open reading frames (ORFs) and 52,614 bp with 72 ORFs, respectively. Proteomic (ViPTree) and phylogenetic (VICTOR) analyses confirmed that both phages aligned with their respective families. DeepTMHMM predictions suggested that P2 and vB_AhydM-H1 encode three and four ORFs with transmembrane domains, respectively. Conclusions Safe for environmental and clinical use because of their lytic nature, and lack of virulence and resistance genes, these newly isolated phages expand the arsenal against antibiotic-resistant Aeromonas infections.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vandan Nagar
- Food Technology Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Center, Mumbai, India
- Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai, India
| | | | - Sandeep K. Newase
- Food Technology Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Center, Mumbai, India
| | - Anuj Tyagi
- College of Fisheries, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana, India
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Miao Y, Sun Z, Lin C, Gu H, Ma C, Liang Y, Wang G. DeePhafier: a phage lifestyle classifier using a multilayer self-attention neural network combining protein information. Brief Bioinform 2024; 25:bbae377. [PMID: 39110476 PMCID: PMC11304974 DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbae377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2024] [Revised: 07/04/2024] [Accepted: 07/19/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophages are the viruses that infect bacterial cells. They are the most diverse biological entities on earth and play important roles in microbiome. According to the phage lifestyle, phages can be divided into the virulent phages and the temperate phages. Classifying virulent and temperate phages is crucial for further understanding of the phage-host interactions. Although there are several methods designed for phage lifestyle classification, they merely either consider sequence features or gene features, leading to low accuracy. A new computational method, DeePhafier, is proposed to improve classification performance on phage lifestyle. Built by several multilayer self-attention neural networks, a global self-attention neural network, and being combined by protein features of the Position Specific Scoring Matrix matrix, DeePhafier improves the classification accuracy and outperforms two benchmark methods. The accuracy of DeePhafier on five-fold cross-validation is as high as 87.54% for sequences with length >2000bp.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yan Miao
- College of Computer and Control Engineering, Northeast Forestry University, No. 26 Hexing Road, Harbin, 150040, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Zhenyuan Sun
- College of Computer and Control Engineering, Northeast Forestry University, No. 26 Hexing Road, Harbin, 150040, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Chen Lin
- National Institute for Data Science in Health and Medicine, Xiamen University, No. 4221 Xiangannan Road, Xiamen, 361102, Fujian, China
| | - Haoran Gu
- College of Computer and Control Engineering, Northeast Forestry University, No. 26 Hexing Road, Harbin, 150040, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Chenjing Ma
- College of Computer and Control Engineering, Northeast Forestry University, No. 26 Hexing Road, Harbin, 150040, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Yingjian Liang
- Key Laboratory of Hepatosplenic Surgery, Ministry of Education, Department of General Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, No. 23 Postal Street, Harbin, 150007, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Guohua Wang
- College of Computer and Control Engineering, Northeast Forestry University, No. 26 Hexing Road, Harbin, 150040, Heilongjiang, China
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Das S, Kaledhonkar S. Physiochemical characterization of a potential Klebsiella phage MKP-1 and analysis of its application in reducing biofilm formation. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1397447. [PMID: 39086652 PMCID: PMC11288805 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1397447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024] Open
Abstract
The common intestinal pathogen Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) is one of the leading causes of fatal superbug infections that can resist the effects of commonly prescribed medicines. The uncontrolled use or misuse of antibiotics has increased the prevalence of drug-resistant K. pneumoniae strains in the environment. In the quest to search for alternative therapeutics for treating these drug-resistant infections, bacteriophages (bacterial viruses) emerged as potential candidates for in phage therapy against Klebsiella. The effective formulation of phage therapy against drug-resistant Klebsiella infections demands thorough characterization and screening of many bacteriophages. To contribute effectively to the formulation of successful phage therapy against superbug infections by K. pneumoniae, this study includes the isolation and characterization of a novel lytic bacteriophage MKP-1 to consider its potential to be used as therapeutics in treating drug-resistant Klebsiella infections. Morphologically, having a capsid attached to a long non-contractile tail, it was found to be a siphovirus that belongs to the class Caudoviricetes and showed infectivity against different strains of the target host bacterium. Comparatively, this double-stranded DNA phage has a large burst size and is quite stable in various physiological conditions. More interestingly, it has the potential to degrade the tough biofilms formed by K. pneumoniae (Klebsiella pneumoniae subsp. pneumoniae (Schroeter) Trevisan [ATCC 15380]) significantly. Thus, the following study would contribute effectively to considering phage MKP-1 as a potential candidate for phage therapy against Klebsiella infection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Sandip Kaledhonkar
- Department of Bioscience and Bioengineering, IIT Bombay, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Villicaña C, Rubí-Rangel LM, Amarillas L, Lightbourn-Rojas LA, Carrillo-Fasio JA, León-Félix J. Isolation and Characterization of Two Novel Genera of Jumbo Bacteriophages Infecting Xanthomonas vesicatoria Isolated from Agricultural Regions in Mexico. Antibiotics (Basel) 2024; 13:651. [PMID: 39061333 PMCID: PMC11273794 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics13070651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2024] [Revised: 06/27/2024] [Accepted: 07/06/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Bacterial spot is a serious disease caused by several species of Xanthomonas affecting pepper and tomato production worldwide. Since the strategies employed for disease management have been inefficient and pose a threat for environmental and human health, the development of alternative methods is gaining relevance. The aim of this study is to isolate and characterize lytic phages against Xanthomonas pathogens. Here, we isolate two jumbo phages, named XaC1 and XbC2, from water obtained from agricultural irrigation channels by the enrichment technique using X. vesicatoria as a host. We determined that both phages were specific for inducing the lysis of X. vesicatoria strains, but not of other xanthomonads. The XaC1 and XbC2 phages showed a myovirus morphology and were classified as jumbo phages due to their genomes being larger than 200 kb. Phylogenetic and comparative analysis suggests that XaC1 and XbC2 represent both different and novel genera of phages, where XaC1 possesses a low similarity to other phage genomes reported before. Finally, XaC1 and XbC2 exhibited thermal stability up to 45 °C and pH stability from 5 to 9. All these results indicate that the isolated phages are promising candidates for the development of formulations against bacterial spot, although further characterization is required.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Villicaña
- CONAHCYT—Laboratorio de Biología Molecular y Genómica Funcional, Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, A. C., Culiacán 80110, Sinaloa, Mexico;
| | - Lucía M. Rubí-Rangel
- Laboratorio de Biología Molecular y Genómica Funcional, Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, A. C., Culiacán 80110, Sinaloa, Mexico;
| | - Luis Amarillas
- Laboratorio de Genética, Instituto de Investigación Lightbourn, A. C., Cd. Jimenez 33981, Chihuahua, Mexico; (L.A.)
| | | | - José Armando Carrillo-Fasio
- Laboratorio de Nematología Agrícola, Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, A. C., Culiacán 80110, Sinaloa, Mexico;
| | - Josefina León-Félix
- Laboratorio de Biología Molecular y Genómica Funcional, Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, A. C., Culiacán 80110, Sinaloa, Mexico;
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Lee J, Hunter B, Shim H. A pangenome analysis of ESKAPE bacteriophages: the underrepresentation may impact machine learning models. Front Mol Biosci 2024; 11:1395450. [PMID: 38974320 PMCID: PMC11224154 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2024.1395450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 07/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophages are the most prevalent biological entities in the biosphere. However, limitations in both medical relevance and sequencing technologies have led to a systematic underestimation of the genetic diversity within phages. This underrepresentation not only creates a significant gap in our understanding of phage roles across diverse biosystems but also introduces biases in computational models reliant on these data for training and testing. In this study, we focused on publicly available genomes of bacteriophages infecting high-priority ESKAPE pathogens to show the extent and impact of this underrepresentation. First, we demonstrate a stark underrepresentation of ESKAPE phage genomes within the public genome and protein databases. Next, a pangenome analysis of these ESKAPE phages reveals extensive sharing of core genes among phages infecting the same host. Furthermore, genome analyses and clustering highlight close nucleotide-level relationships among the ESKAPE phages, raising concerns about the limited diversity within current public databases. Lastly, we uncover a scarcity of unique lytic phages and phage proteins with antimicrobial activities against ESKAPE pathogens. This comprehensive analysis of the ESKAPE phages underscores the severity of underrepresentation and its potential implications. This lack of diversity in phage genomes may restrict the resurgence of phage therapy and cause biased outcomes in data-driven computational models due to incomplete and unbalanced biological datasets.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jeesu Lee
- Center for Biosystems and Biotech Data Science, Ghent University Global Campus, Incheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Branden Hunter
- Department of Biology, California State University, Fresno, CA, United States
| | - Hyunjin Shim
- Center for Biosystems and Biotech Data Science, Ghent University Global Campus, Incheon, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biology, California State University, Fresno, CA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Marchesin-Cupello D, Roscales G, Cobeta P, Chaboy-Cansado R, Aguirre de Cárcer D, Rastrojo A. Genome sequences of two Arthrobacter phages isolated from soil. Microbiol Resour Announc 2024; 13:e0130023. [PMID: 38651926 PMCID: PMC11237510 DOI: 10.1128/mra.01300-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The isolation and characterization of additional phages is crucial for adding reliable viral sequences with relevant biological information to viral databases. In this study, we present the complete genomes of two Arthrobacter phages obtained from different soil samples.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dana Marchesin-Cupello
- Department of Biology, Microbial and Environmental Genomics Group, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Gabriel Roscales
- Department of Biology, Microbial and Environmental Genomics Group, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Paula Cobeta
- Department of Biology, Microbial and Environmental Genomics Group, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ruben Chaboy-Cansado
- Department of Biology, Microbial and Environmental Genomics Group, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Daniel Aguirre de Cárcer
- Department of Biology, Microbial and Environmental Genomics Group, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alberto Rastrojo
- Department of Biology, Microbial and Environmental Genomics Group, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Barno AR, Green K, Rohwer F, Silveira CB. Snow viruses and their implications on red snow algal blooms. mSystems 2024; 9:e0008324. [PMID: 38647296 PMCID: PMC11097641 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00083-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 03/23/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Algal blooms can give snowmelt a red color, reducing snow albedo and creating a runaway effect that accelerates snow melting. The occurrence of red snow is predicted to grow in polar and subpolar regions with increasing global temperatures. We hypothesize that these algal blooms affect virus-bacteria interactions in snow, with potential effects on snowmelt dynamics. A genomic analysis of double-stranded DNA virus communities in red and white snow from the Whistler region of British Columbia, Canada, identified 792 putative viruses infecting bacteria. The most abundant putative snow viruses displayed low genomic similarity with known viruses. We recovered the complete circular genomes of nine putative viruses, two of which were classified as temperate. Putative snow viruses encoded genes involved in energy metabolisms, such as NAD+ synthesis and salvage pathways. In model phages, these genes facilitate increased viral particle production and lysis rates. The frequency of temperate phages was positively correlated with microbial abundance in the snow samples. These results suggest the increased frequency of temperate virus-bacteria interactions as microbial densities increase during snowmelt. We propose that this virus-bacteria dynamic may facilitate the red snow algae growth stimulated by bacteria.IMPORTANCEMicrobial communities in red snow algal blooms contribute to intensifying snowmelt rates. The role of viruses in snow during this environmental shift, however, has yet to be elucidated. Here, we characterize novel viruses extracted from snow viral metagenomes and define the functional capacities of snow viruses in both white and red snow. These results are contextualized using the composition and functions observed in the bacterial communities from the same snow samples. Together, these data demonstrate the energy metabolism performed by viruses and bacteria in a snow algal bloom, as well as expand the overall knowledge of viral genomes in extreme environments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adam R. Barno
- Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Kevin Green
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Forest Rohwer
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, USA
- Viral Information Institute, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
10
|
Sprotte S, Brinks E, Neve H, Franz CM. Complete genome sequence of the novel virulent phage PMBT24 infecting Enterocloster bolteae from the human gut. Heliyon 2024; 10:e28813. [PMID: 38655313 PMCID: PMC11035940 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e28813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
PMBT24, the first reported virulent bacteriophage infecting the anaerobic human gut bacterium Enterocloster bolteae strain MBT-21, was isolated from a municipal sewage sample and its genome was sequenced and analysed. Transmission electron microscopy revealed a phage with an icosahedral head and a long, non-contractile tail. The circularly permutated, 99,962-bp dsDNA genome of the pac-type phage has a mol% G + C content of 32.1 and comprises 173 putative ORFs. Using amino acid sequence-based phylogeny, phage PMBT24 showed similarity to other, hitherto non-published phage genomes in the databases. Our data suggested phage PMBT24 to present the type phage of a novel genus (proposed name Kielvirus) and novel family of phages (proposed name Kielviridae).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Sprotte
- Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Max Rubner-Institut, Federal Research Institute of Nutrition and Food, Hermann-Weigmann-Str. 1, 24103, Kiel, Germany
| | - Erik Brinks
- Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Max Rubner-Institut, Federal Research Institute of Nutrition and Food, Hermann-Weigmann-Str. 1, 24103, Kiel, Germany
| | | | - Charles M.A.P. Franz
- Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Max Rubner-Institut, Federal Research Institute of Nutrition and Food, Hermann-Weigmann-Str. 1, 24103, Kiel, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Srivastava A, Verma N, Kumar V, Apoorva P, Agarwal V. Biofilm inhibition/eradication: exploring strategies and confronting challenges in combatting biofilm. Arch Microbiol 2024; 206:212. [PMID: 38616221 DOI: 10.1007/s00203-024-03938-0] [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: 01/12/2024] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
Biofilms are complex communities of microorganisms enclosed in a self-produced extracellular matrix, posing a significant threat to different sectors, including healthcare and industry. This review provides an overview of the challenges faced due to biofilm formation and different novel strategies that can combat biofilm formation. Bacteria inside the biofilm exhibit increased resistance against different antimicrobial agents, including conventional antibiotics, which can lead to severe problems in livestock and animals, including humans. In addition, biofilm formation also imposes heavy economic pressure on industries. Hence it becomes necessary to explore newer alternatives to eradicate biofilms effectively without applying selection pressure on the bacteria. Excessive usage of antibiotics may also lead to an increase in the number of resistant strains as bacteria employ an advanced antimicrobial resistance mechanism. This review provides insight into multifaceted technologies like quorum sensing inhibition, enzymes, antimicrobial peptides, bacteriophage, phytocompounds, and nanotechnology to neutralize biofilms without developing antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Furthermore, it will pave the way for developing newer therapeutic agents to deal with biofilms more efficiently.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anmol Srivastava
- Department of Biotechnology, Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology Allahabad, Prayagraj, 211004, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Nidhi Verma
- Department of Biotechnology, Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology Allahabad, Prayagraj, 211004, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Vivek Kumar
- Department of Biotechnology, Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology Allahabad, Prayagraj, 211004, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Pragati Apoorva
- Department of Biotechnology, Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology Allahabad, Prayagraj, 211004, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Vishnu Agarwal
- Department of Biotechnology, Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology Allahabad, Prayagraj, 211004, Uttar Pradesh, India.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Zhang H, Su X, Zheng X, Liu M, Zhao C, Liu X, Ma Z, Zhang S, Zhang W. vB_EcoM-P896 coliphage isolated from duck sewage can lyse both intestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli and extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli. Int Microbiol 2024:10.1007/s10123-024-00519-5. [PMID: 38613721 DOI: 10.1007/s10123-024-00519-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2024] [Revised: 03/17/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/15/2024]
Abstract
Pathogenic Escherichia coli strains cause diseases in both humans and animals. The limiting factors to prevent as well as control infections from pathogenic E. coli strains are their pathotypes, serotypes, and drug resistance. Herein, a bacteriophage (vB_EcoM-P896) has been isolated from duck sewage. Furthermore, aside from targeting intestinal pathogenic E. coli strains like enteropathogenic E. coli, Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, entero-invasive E. coli, and enteroaggregative E. coli, vB_EcoM-P896 can cause lysis in extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli strains such as avian pathogenic E. coli. Stability analysis revealed that vB_EcoM-P896 was stable under the following conditions: temperature, 4℃-50℃; pH, 3-11. The sequencing of the vB_EcoM-P896 genome was conducted utilizing an HiSeq system (Illumina, San Diego, CA) and subjected to de novo assembling with the aid of Spades 3.11.1. The characteristics of the DNA genome were as follows: size, 170,656 bp; GC content, 40.4%; the number of putative coding regions, 294. Transmission electron microscopy analysis of morphology and genome analysis revealed that the phage vB_EcoM-P896 belonged to the order Caudovirales and the family Myoviridae. The pan-genome analysis of vB_EcoM-P896 was divided into two levels. The first level involved the analysis of 91 strains of muscle tail phages, which were mainly divided into 5 groups. The second level involved the analysis of 24 strains of myophage with high homology. Of the 1480 gene clusters, 23 were shared core genes. Neighbor-joining phylogenetic trees were constructed using the Poisson model with MEGA6.0 based on the conserved sequences of phage proteins, the amino acid sequence of the terminase large subunit, and tail fibrin. Further analysis revealed that vB_EcoM-P896 was a typical T4-like potent phage with potential clinical applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Haiyan Zhang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
- Department of Food and Biology Engineering, Wuhu Institute of Technology, Wuhu, 241003, China
- Detection of Food-Borne Pathogenic Microorganisms Engineering Research Center of Wuhu, Wuhu, 241000, China
| | - Xiazhu Su
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
- Key Lab of Animal Bacteriology, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Xiangkuan Zheng
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
- Key Lab of Animal Bacteriology, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Meihan Liu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
- Key Lab of Animal Bacteriology, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Chengxin Zhao
- Fushan Economic Development Zone, Yantai Jinhai Pharmaceutical Co. LTD 28 Jilin Road, Yantai City, China
| | - Xiao Liu
- Fushan Economic Development Zone, Yantai Jinhai Pharmaceutical Co. LTD 28 Jilin Road, Yantai City, China
| | - Zhenxing Ma
- Department of Food and Biology Engineering, Wuhu Institute of Technology, Wuhu, 241003, China
- Detection of Food-Borne Pathogenic Microorganisms Engineering Research Center of Wuhu, Wuhu, 241000, China
| | - Shuang Zhang
- Department of Food and Biology Engineering, Wuhu Institute of Technology, Wuhu, 241003, China.
- Detection of Food-Borne Pathogenic Microorganisms Engineering Research Center of Wuhu, Wuhu, 241000, China.
| | - Wei Zhang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China.
- Detection of Food-Borne Pathogenic Microorganisms Engineering Research Center of Wuhu, Wuhu, 241000, China.
- Key Lab of Animal Bacteriology, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing, 210095, China.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Liu X, Liu Y, Liu J, Zhang H, Shan C, Guo Y, Gong X, Cui M, Li X, Tang M. Correlation between the gut microbiome and neurodegenerative diseases: a review of metagenomics evidence. Neural Regen Res 2024; 19:833-845. [PMID: 37843219 PMCID: PMC10664138 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.382223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
A growing body of evidence suggests that the gut microbiota contributes to the development of neurodegenerative diseases via the microbiota-gut-brain axis. As a contributing factor, microbiota dysbiosis always occurs in pathological changes of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. High-throughput sequencing technology has helped to reveal that the bidirectional communication between the central nervous system and the enteric nervous system is facilitated by the microbiota's diverse microorganisms, and for both neuroimmune and neuroendocrine systems. Here, we summarize the bioinformatics analysis and wet-biology validation for the gut metagenomics in neurodegenerative diseases, with an emphasis on multi-omics studies and the gut virome. The pathogen-associated signaling biomarkers for identifying brain disorders and potential therapeutic targets are also elucidated. Finally, we discuss the role of diet, prebiotics, probiotics, postbiotics and exercise interventions in remodeling the microbiome and reducing the symptoms of neurodegenerative diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyan Liu
- School of Life Sciences, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Yi Liu
- School of Life Sciences, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China
- Institute of Animal Husbandry, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Junlin Liu
- School of Life Sciences, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Hantao Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Chaofan Shan
- School of Life Sciences, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Yinglu Guo
- School of Life Sciences, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Xun Gong
- Department of Rheumatology & Immunology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Mengmeng Cui
- Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Taian, Shandong Province, China
| | - Xiubin Li
- Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Taian, Shandong Province, China
| | - Min Tang
- School of Life Sciences, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Martinez-Soto CE, McClelland M, Kropinski AM, Lin JT, Khursigara CM, Anany H. Multireceptor phage cocktail against Salmonella enterica to circumvent phage resistance. MICROLIFE 2024; 5:uqae003. [PMID: 38545601 PMCID: PMC10972627 DOI: 10.1093/femsml/uqae003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
Non-Typhoidal Salmonella (NTS) is one of the most common food-borne pathogens worldwide, with poultry products being the major vehicle for pathogenesis in humans. The use of bacteriophage (phage) cocktails has recently emerged as a novel approach to enhancing food safety. Here, a multireceptor Salmonella phage cocktail of five phages was developed and characterized. The cocktail targets four receptors: O-antigen, BtuB, OmpC, and rough Salmonella strains. Structural analysis indicated that all five phages belong to unique families or subfamilies. Genome analysis of four of the phages showed they were devoid of known virulence or antimicrobial resistance factors, indicating enhanced safety. The phage cocktail broad antimicrobial spectrum against Salmonella, significantly inhibiting the growth of all 66 strains from 20 serovars tested in vitro. The average bacteriophage insensitive mutant (BIM) frequency against the cocktail was 6.22 × 10-6 in S. Enteritidis, significantly lower than that of each of the individual phages. The phage cocktail reduced the load of Salmonella in inoculated chicken skin by 3.5 log10 CFU/cm2 after 48 h at 25°C and 15°C, and 2.5 log10 CFU/cm2 at 4°C. A genome-wide transduction assay was used to investigate the transduction efficiency of the selected phage in the cocktail. Only one of the four phages tested could transduce the kanamycin resistance cassette at a low frequency comparable to that of phage P22. Overall, the results support the potential of cocktails of phage that each target different host receptors to achieve complementary infection and reduce the emergence of phage resistance during biocontrol applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carlos E Martinez-Soto
- Guelph Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food
Canada, 93 Stone Rd W, N1G 5C9, Guelph, Ontario,
Canada
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, College of Biological
Science, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Rd E, N1G 2W1,
Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michael McClelland
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine,
University of California, Irvine, 811 Health Sciences Road,
CA 92614, United States
| | - Andrew M Kropinski
- Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of
Guelph, Guelph, 419 Gordon St, Guelph, ON N1G
2W1, Canada
| | - Janet T Lin
- Guelph Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food
Canada, 93 Stone Rd W, N1G 5C9, Guelph, Ontario,
Canada
| | - Cezar M Khursigara
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, College of Biological
Science, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Rd E, N1G 2W1,
Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Hany Anany
- Guelph Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food
Canada, 93 Stone Rd W, N1G 5C9, Guelph, Ontario,
Canada
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, College of Biological
Science, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Rd E, N1G 2W1,
Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Zeng S, Almeida A, Li S, Ying J, Wang H, Qu Y, Paul Ross R, Stanton C, Zhou Z, Niu X, Mu D, Wang S. A metagenomic catalog of the early-life human gut virome. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1864. [PMID: 38424077 PMCID: PMC10904392 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45793-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Early-life human gut microbiome is a pivotal driver of gut homeostasis and infant health. However, the viral component (known as "virome") remains mostly unexplored. Here, we establish the Early-Life Gut Virome (ELGV), a catalog of 160,478 non-redundant DNA and RNA viral sequences from 8130 gut virus-like particles (VLPs) enriched or bulk metagenomes in the first three years of life. By clustering, 82,141 viral species are identified, 68.3% of which are absent in existing databases built mainly from adults, and 64 and 8 viral species based on VLPs-enriched and bulk metagenomes, respectively, exhibit potentials as biomarkers to distinguish infants from adults. With the largest longitudinal population of infants profiled by either VLPs-enriched or bulk metagenomic sequencing, we track the inherent instability and temporal development of the early-life human gut virome, and identify differential viruses associated with multiple clinical factors. The mother-infant shared virome and interactions between gut virome and bacteriome early in life are further expanded. Together, the ELGV catalog provides the most comprehensive and complete metagenomic blueprint of the early-life human gut virome, facilitating the discovery of pediatric disease-virome associations in future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shuqin Zeng
- Department of Pediatrics, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Alexandre Almeida
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Shiping Li
- Department of Pediatrics, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Junjie Ying
- Department of Pediatrics, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Hua Wang
- Department of Pediatrics, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yi Qu
- Department of Pediatrics, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - R Paul Ross
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Catherine Stanton
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- Teagasc Food Research Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, Co. Cork, Ireland
| | - Zhemin Zhou
- Pasteurien College, Medical College of Soochow University, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Xiaoyu Niu
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
| | - Dezhi Mu
- Department of Pediatrics, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
| | - Shaopu Wang
- Department of Pediatrics, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Shrestha S, Da Silva KE, Shakya J, Yu AT, Katuwal N, Shrestha R, Shakya M, Shahi SB, Naga SR, LeBoa C, Aiemjoy K, Bogoch II, Saha S, Tamrakar D, Andrews JR. Detection of Salmonella Typhi bacteriophages in surface waters as a scalable approach to environmental surveillance. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2024; 18:e0011912. [PMID: 38329937 PMCID: PMC10852241 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0011912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Environmental surveillance, using detection of Salmonella Typhi DNA, has emerged as a potentially useful tool to identify typhoid-endemic settings; however, it is relatively costly and requires molecular diagnostic capacity. We sought to determine whether S. Typhi bacteriophages are abundant in water sources in a typhoid-endemic setting, using low-cost assays. METHODOLOGY We collected drinking and surface water samples from urban, peri-urban and rural areas in 4 regions of Nepal. We performed a double agar overlay with S. Typhi to assess the presence of bacteriophages. We isolated and tested phages against multiple strains to assess their host range. We performed whole genome sequencing of isolated phages, and generated phylogenies using conserved genes. FINDINGS S. Typhi-specific bacteriophages were detected in 54.9% (198/361) of river and 6.3% (1/16) drinking water samples from the Kathmandu Valley and Kavrepalanchok. Water samples collected within or downstream of population-dense areas were more likely to be positive (72.6%, 193/266) than those collected upstream from population centers (5.3%, 5/95) (p=0.005). In urban Biratnagar and rural Dolakha, where typhoid incidence is low, only 6.7% (1/15, Biratnagar) and 0% (0/16, Dolakha) river water samples contained phages. All S. Typhi phages were unable to infect other Salmonella and non-Salmonella strains, nor a Vi-knockout S. Typhi strain. Representative strains from S. Typhi lineages were variably susceptible to the isolated phages. Phylogenetic analysis showed that S. Typhi phages belonged to the class Caudoviricetes and clustered in three distinct groups. CONCLUSIONS S. Typhi bacteriophages were highly abundant in surface waters of typhoid-endemic communities but rarely detected in low typhoid burden communities. Bacteriophages recovered were specific for S. Typhi and required Vi polysaccharide for infection. Screening small volumes of water with simple, low-cost (~$2) plaque assays enables detection of S. Typhi phages and should be further evaluated as a scalable tool for typhoid environmental surveillance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sneha Shrestha
- Center for Infectious Disease Research and Surveillance, Dhulikhel Hospital Kathmandu University Hospital, Kavre, Nepal
- Research and Development Division, Dhulikhel Hospital Kathmandu University Hospital, Kavre, Nepal
| | - Kesia Esther Da Silva
- Stanford University, Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Jivan Shakya
- Institute for Research in Science and Technology, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Alexander T. Yu
- Stanford University, Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Nishan Katuwal
- Center for Infectious Disease Research and Surveillance, Dhulikhel Hospital Kathmandu University Hospital, Kavre, Nepal
- Research and Development Division, Dhulikhel Hospital Kathmandu University Hospital, Kavre, Nepal
| | - Rajeev Shrestha
- Center for Infectious Disease Research and Surveillance, Dhulikhel Hospital Kathmandu University Hospital, Kavre, Nepal
- Research and Development Division, Dhulikhel Hospital Kathmandu University Hospital, Kavre, Nepal
- Department of Pharmacology, Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Mudita Shakya
- Center for Infectious Disease Research and Surveillance, Dhulikhel Hospital Kathmandu University Hospital, Kavre, Nepal
- Research and Development Division, Dhulikhel Hospital Kathmandu University Hospital, Kavre, Nepal
| | - Sabin Bikram Shahi
- Center for Infectious Disease Research and Surveillance, Dhulikhel Hospital Kathmandu University Hospital, Kavre, Nepal
- Research and Development Division, Dhulikhel Hospital Kathmandu University Hospital, Kavre, Nepal
| | - Shiva Ram Naga
- Center for Infectious Disease Research and Surveillance, Dhulikhel Hospital Kathmandu University Hospital, Kavre, Nepal
- Research and Development Division, Dhulikhel Hospital Kathmandu University Hospital, Kavre, Nepal
| | - Christopher LeBoa
- University of California Berkeley, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Kristen Aiemjoy
- University of California Davis, School of Medicine, Department of Public Health Sciences, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Isaac I. Bogoch
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Senjuti Saha
- Child Health Research Foundation, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Dipesh Tamrakar
- Center for Infectious Disease Research and Surveillance, Dhulikhel Hospital Kathmandu University Hospital, Kavre, Nepal
- Research and Development Division, Dhulikhel Hospital Kathmandu University Hospital, Kavre, Nepal
- Department of Community Medicine, Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Jason R. Andrews
- Stanford University, Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Liu GY, Yu D, Fan MM, Zhang X, Jin ZY, Tang C, Liu XF. Antimicrobial resistance crisis: could artificial intelligence be the solution? Mil Med Res 2024; 11:7. [PMID: 38254241 PMCID: PMC10804841 DOI: 10.1186/s40779-024-00510-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance is a global public health threat, and the World Health Organization (WHO) has announced a priority list of the most threatening pathogens against which novel antibiotics need to be developed. The discovery and introduction of novel antibiotics are time-consuming and expensive. According to WHO's report of antibacterial agents in clinical development, only 18 novel antibiotics have been approved since 2014. Therefore, novel antibiotics are critically needed. Artificial intelligence (AI) has been rapidly applied to drug development since its recent technical breakthrough and has dramatically improved the efficiency of the discovery of novel antibiotics. Here, we first summarized recently marketed novel antibiotics, and antibiotic candidates in clinical development. In addition, we systematically reviewed the involvement of AI in antibacterial drug development and utilization, including small molecules, antimicrobial peptides, phage therapy, essential oils, as well as resistance mechanism prediction, and antibiotic stewardship.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Guang-Yu Liu
- Department of Immunology and Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Key Laboratory of Aging and Cancer Biology of Zhejiang Province, Key Laboratory of Inflammation and Immunoregulation of Hangzhou, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, 311121, China
| | - Dan Yu
- National Key Discipline of Pediatrics Key Laboratory of Major Diseases in Children Ministry of Education, Laboratory of Dermatology, Beijing Pediatric Research Institute, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Children's Health, Beijing, 100045, China
| | - Mei-Mei Fan
- Department of Immunology and Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Key Laboratory of Aging and Cancer Biology of Zhejiang Province, Key Laboratory of Inflammation and Immunoregulation of Hangzhou, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, 311121, China
| | - Xu Zhang
- Robert and Arlene Kogod Center on Aging, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Ze-Yu Jin
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Christoph Tang
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3RE, UK.
| | - Xiao-Fen Liu
- Institute of Antibiotics, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Key Laboratory of Clinical Pharmacology of Antibiotics, National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China, National Clinical Research Centre for Aging and Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200040, China.
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Zhao J, Han J, Lin YW, Zhu Y, Aichem M, Garkov D, Bergen PJ, Nang SC, Ye JZ, Zhou T, Velkov T, Song J, Schreiber F, Li J. PhageGE: an interactive web platform for exploratory analysis and visualization of bacteriophage genomes. Gigascience 2024; 13:giae074. [PMID: 39320317 PMCID: PMC11423353 DOI: 10.1093/gigascience/giae074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2024] [Revised: 06/29/2024] [Accepted: 09/02/2024] [Indexed: 09/26/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Antimicrobial resistance is a serious threat to global health. Due to the stagnant antibiotic discovery pipeline, bacteriophages (phages) have been proposed as an alternative therapy for the treatment of infections caused by multidrug-resistant pathogens. Genomic features play an important role in phage pharmacology. However, our knowledge of phage genomics is sparse, and the use of existing bioinformatic pipelines and tools requires considerable bioinformatic expertise. These challenges have substantially limited the clinical translation of phage therapy. FINDINGS We have developed PhageGE (Phage Genome Explorer), a user-friendly graphical interface application for the interactive analysis of phage genomes. PhageGE enables users to perform key analyses, including phylogenetic analysis, visualization of phylogenetic trees, prediction of phage life cycle, and comparative analysis of phage genome annotations. The new R Shiny web server, PhageGE, integrates existing R packages and combines them with several newly developed functions to facilitate these analyses. Additionally, the web server provides interactive visualization capabilities and allows users to directly export publication-quality images. CONCLUSIONS PhageGE is a valuable tool that simplifies the analysis of phage genome data and may expedite the development and clinical translation of phage therapy. PhageGE is publicly available at https://jason-zhao.shinyapps.io/PhageGE_Update/.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jinxin Zhao
- Infection Program and Department of Microbiology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton 3800, Australia
- Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute-Wenzhou Medical University Alliance in Clinical and Experimental Biomedicine, Monash University, Clayton 3800, Australia
| | - Jiru Han
- Population Health and Immunity Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville 3052, Australia
| | - Yu-Wei Lin
- Infection Program and Department of Microbiology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton 3800, Australia
| | - Yan Zhu
- Infection Program and Department of Microbiology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton 3800, Australia
- Systems Biology Center, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin 300308, China
| | - Michael Aichem
- Department of Computer and Information Science, University of Konstanz, Konstanz 78457, Germany
| | - Dimitar Garkov
- Department of Computer and Information Science, University of Konstanz, Konstanz 78457, Germany
| | - Phillip J Bergen
- Infection Program and Department of Microbiology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton 3800, Australia
| | - Sue C Nang
- Infection Program and Department of Microbiology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton 3800, Australia
| | - Jian-Zhong Ye
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnosis and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325015, China
- Wenzhou Medical University-Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute Alliance in Clinical and Experimental Biomedicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University,Wenzhou 325015, China
| | - Tieli Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnosis and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325015, China
- Wenzhou Medical University-Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute Alliance in Clinical and Experimental Biomedicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University,Wenzhou 325015, China
| | - Tony Velkov
- Department of Pharmacology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton 3800, Australia
| | - Jiangning Song
- Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute-Wenzhou Medical University Alliance in Clinical and Experimental Biomedicine, Monash University, Clayton 3800, Australia
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton 3800, Australia
| | - Falk Schreiber
- Department of Computer and Information Science, University of Konstanz, Konstanz 78457, Germany
- Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University, Clayton 3800, Australia
| | - Jian Li
- Infection Program and Department of Microbiology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton 3800, Australia
- Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute-Wenzhou Medical University Alliance in Clinical and Experimental Biomedicine, Monash University, Clayton 3800, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Yin H, Wu S, Tan J, Guo Q, Li M, Guo J, Wang Y, Jiang X, Zhu H. IPEV: identification of prokaryotic and eukaryotic virus-derived sequences in virome using deep learning. Gigascience 2024; 13:giae018. [PMID: 38649300 PMCID: PMC11034026 DOI: 10.1093/gigascience/giae018] [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: 11/23/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The virome obtained through virus-like particle enrichment contains a mixture of prokaryotic and eukaryotic virus-derived fragments. Accurate identification and classification of these elements are crucial to understanding their roles and functions in microbial communities. However, the rapid mutation rates of viral genomes pose challenges in developing high-performance tools for classification, potentially limiting downstream analyses. FINDINGS We present IPEV, a novel method to distinguish prokaryotic and eukaryotic viruses in viromes, with a 2-dimensional convolutional neural network combining trinucleotide pair relative distance and frequency. Cross-validation assessments of IPEV demonstrate its state-of-the-art precision, significantly improving the F1-score by approximately 22% on an independent test set compared to existing methods when query viruses share less than 30% sequence similarity with known viruses. Furthermore, IPEV outperforms other methods in accuracy on marine and gut virome samples based on annotations by sequence alignments. IPEV reduces runtime by at most 1,225 times compared to existing methods under the same computing configuration. We also utilized IPEV to analyze longitudinal samples and found that the gut virome exhibits a higher degree of temporal stability than previously observed in persistent personal viromes, providing novel insights into the resilience of the gut virome in individuals. CONCLUSIONS IPEV is a high-performance, user-friendly tool that assists biologists in identifying and classifying prokaryotic and eukaryotic viruses within viromes. The tool is available at https://github.com/basehc/IPEV.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hengchuang Yin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Future Technology, and Center for Quantitative Biology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Shufang Wu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Future Technology, and Center for Quantitative Biology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Jie Tan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Future Technology, and Center for Quantitative Biology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Qian Guo
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Future Technology, and Center for Quantitative Biology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Mo Li
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Future Technology, and Center for Quantitative Biology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Jinyuan Guo
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Future Technology, and Center for Quantitative Biology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Yaqi Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Future Technology, and Center for Quantitative Biology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Xiaoqing Jiang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Future Technology, and Center for Quantitative Biology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Huaiqiu Zhu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Future Technology, and Center for Quantitative Biology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Heinrichs ME, Piedade GJ, Popa O, Sommers P, Trubl G, Weissenbach J, Rahlff J. Breaking the Ice: A Review of Phages in Polar Ecosystems. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2738:31-71. [PMID: 37966591 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3549-0_3] [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] [Indexed: 11/16/2023]
Abstract
Bacteriophages, or phages, are viruses that infect and replicate within bacterial hosts, playing a significant role in regulating microbial populations and ecosystem dynamics. However, phages from extreme environments such as polar regions remain relatively understudied due to challenges such as restricted ecosystem access and low biomass. Understanding the diversity, structure, and functions of polar phages is crucial for advancing our knowledge of the microbial ecology and biogeochemistry of these environments. In this review, we will explore the current state of knowledge on phages from the Arctic and Antarctic, focusing on insights gained from -omic studies, phage isolation, and virus-like particle abundance data. Metagenomic studies of polar environments have revealed a high diversity of phages with unique genetic characteristics, providing insights into their evolutionary and ecological roles. Phage isolation studies have identified novel phage-host interactions and contributed to the discovery of new phage species. Virus-like particle abundance and lysis rate data, on the other hand, have highlighted the importance of phages in regulating bacterial populations and nutrient cycling in polar environments. Overall, this review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of knowledge about polar phages, and by synthesizing these different sources of information, we can better understand the diversity, dynamics, and functions of polar phages in the context of ongoing climate change, which will help to predict how polar ecosystems and residing phages may respond to future environmental perturbations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mara Elena Heinrichs
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment, Carl von Ossietzky University, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Gonçalo J Piedade
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, 't Horntje, The Netherlands
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ovidiu Popa
- Institute of Quantitative and Theoretical Biology Heinrich-Heine University Duesseldorf, Duesseldorf, Germany
| | | | - Gareth Trubl
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, USA
| | - Julia Weissenbach
- Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems (EEMiS), Department of Biology and Environmental Science, Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden
| | - Janina Rahlff
- Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems (EEMiS), Department of Biology and Environmental Science, Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden.
- Aero-Aquatic Virus Research Group, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Barrero-Canosa J, Wang L, Oyugi A, Klaes S, Fischer P, Adrian L, Szewzyk U, Cooper M. Characterization of phage vB_EcoS-EE09 infecting E. coli DSM613 Isolated from Wastewater Treatment Plant Effluent and Comparative Proteomics of the Infected and Non-Infected Host. Microorganisms 2023; 11:2688. [PMID: 38004701 PMCID: PMC10673088 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11112688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Revised: 10/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Phages influence microbial communities, can be applied in phage therapy, or may serve as bioindicators, e.g., in (waste)water management. We here characterized the Escherichia phage vB_EcoS-EE09 isolated from an urban wastewater treatment plant effluent. Phage vB_EcoS-EE09 belongs to the genus Dhillonvirus, class Caudoviricetes. It has an icosahedral capsid with a long non-contractile tail and a dsDNA genome with an approximate size of 44 kb and a 54.6% GC content. Phage vB_EcoS-EE09 infected 12 out of the 17 E. coli strains tested. We identified 16 structural phage proteins, including the major capsid protein, in cell-free lysates by protein mass spectrometry. Comparative proteomics of protein extracts of infected E. coli cells revealed that proteins involved in amino acid and protein metabolism were more abundant in infected compared to non-infected cells. Among the proteins involved in the stress response, 74% were less abundant in the infected cultures compared to the non-infected controls, with six proteins showing significant less abundance. Repressing the expression of these proteins may be a phage strategy to evade host defense mechanisms. Our results contribute to diversifying phage collections, identifying structural proteins to enable better reliability in annotating taxonomically related phage genomes, and understanding phage-host interactions at the protein level.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jimena Barrero-Canosa
- Institute of Environmental Technology, Chair of Environmental Microbiology, Technische Universität Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623 Berlin, Germany; (L.W.); (A.O.); (P.F.); (U.S.); (M.C.)
| | - Luyao Wang
- Institute of Environmental Technology, Chair of Environmental Microbiology, Technische Universität Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623 Berlin, Germany; (L.W.); (A.O.); (P.F.); (U.S.); (M.C.)
| | - Angelah Oyugi
- Institute of Environmental Technology, Chair of Environmental Microbiology, Technische Universität Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623 Berlin, Germany; (L.W.); (A.O.); (P.F.); (U.S.); (M.C.)
| | - Simon Klaes
- Institute of Biotechnology, Chair of Geobiotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Ackerstraße 76, 13355 Berlin, Germany; (S.K.)
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research GmbH—UFZ, Department of Environmental Biotechnology, Permoserstraße 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Pascal Fischer
- Institute of Environmental Technology, Chair of Environmental Microbiology, Technische Universität Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623 Berlin, Germany; (L.W.); (A.O.); (P.F.); (U.S.); (M.C.)
| | - Lorenz Adrian
- Institute of Biotechnology, Chair of Geobiotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Ackerstraße 76, 13355 Berlin, Germany; (S.K.)
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research GmbH—UFZ, Department of Environmental Biotechnology, Permoserstraße 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Ulrich Szewzyk
- Institute of Environmental Technology, Chair of Environmental Microbiology, Technische Universität Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623 Berlin, Germany; (L.W.); (A.O.); (P.F.); (U.S.); (M.C.)
| | - Myriel Cooper
- Institute of Environmental Technology, Chair of Environmental Microbiology, Technische Universität Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623 Berlin, Germany; (L.W.); (A.O.); (P.F.); (U.S.); (M.C.)
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Grigson SR, Giles SK, Edwards RA, Papudeshi B. Knowing and Naming: Phage Annotation and Nomenclature for Phage Therapy. Clin Infect Dis 2023; 77:S352-S359. [PMID: 37932119 PMCID: PMC10627814 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciad539] [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: 11/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophages, or phages, are viruses that infect bacteria shaping microbial communities and ecosystems. They have gained attention as potential agents against antibiotic resistance. In phage therapy, lytic phages are preferred for their bacteria killing ability, while temperate phages, which can transfer antibiotic resistance or toxin genes, are avoided. Selection relies on plaque morphology and genome sequencing. This review outlines annotating genomes, identifying critical genomic features, and assigning functional labels to protein-coding sequences. These annotations prevent the transfer of unwanted genes, such as antimicrobial resistance or toxin genes, during phage therapy. Additionally, it covers International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV)-an established phage nomenclature system for simplified classification and communication. Accurate phage genome annotation and nomenclature provide insights into phage-host interactions, replication strategies, and evolution, accelerating our understanding of the diversity and evolution of phages and facilitating the development of phage-based therapies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Susanna R Grigson
- Flinders Accelerator for Microbiome Exploration, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Sarah K Giles
- Flinders Accelerator for Microbiome Exploration, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Robert A Edwards
- Flinders Accelerator for Microbiome Exploration, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Bhavya Papudeshi
- Flinders Accelerator for Microbiome Exploration, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Mallawaarachchi V, Roach MJ, Decewicz P, Papudeshi B, Giles SK, Grigson SR, Bouras G, Hesse RD, Inglis LK, Hutton ALK, Dinsdale EA, Edwards RA. Phables: from fragmented assemblies to high-quality bacteriophage genomes. Bioinformatics 2023; 39:btad586. [PMID: 37738590 PMCID: PMC10563150 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btad586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 09/24/2023] Open
Abstract
MOTIVATION Microbial communities have a profound impact on both human health and various environments. Viruses infecting bacteria, known as bacteriophages or phages, play a key role in modulating bacterial communities within environments. High-quality phage genome sequences are essential for advancing our understanding of phage biology, enabling comparative genomics studies and developing phage-based diagnostic tools. Most available viral identification tools consider individual sequences to determine whether they are of viral origin. As a result of challenges in viral assembly, fragmentation of genomes can occur, and existing tools may recover incomplete genome fragments. Therefore, the identification and characterization of novel phage genomes remain a challenge, leading to the need of improved approaches for phage genome recovery. RESULTS We introduce Phables, a new computational method to resolve phage genomes from fragmented viral metagenome assemblies. Phables identifies phage-like components in the assembly graph, models each component as a flow network, and uses graph algorithms and flow decomposition techniques to identify genomic paths. Experimental results of viral metagenomic samples obtained from different environments show that Phables recovers on average over 49% more high-quality phage genomes compared to existing viral identification tools. Furthermore, Phables can resolve variant phage genomes with over 99% average nucleotide identity, a distinction that existing tools are unable to make. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION Phables is available on GitHub at https://github.com/Vini2/phables.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vijini Mallawaarachchi
- Flinders Accelerator for Microbiome Exploration, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia 5042, Australia
| | - Michael J Roach
- Flinders Accelerator for Microbiome Exploration, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia 5042, Australia
| | - Przemyslaw Decewicz
- Flinders Accelerator for Microbiome Exploration, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia 5042, Australia
- Department of Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology, Institute of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw 02-096, Poland
| | - Bhavya Papudeshi
- Flinders Accelerator for Microbiome Exploration, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia 5042, Australia
| | - Sarah K Giles
- Flinders Accelerator for Microbiome Exploration, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia 5042, Australia
| | - Susanna R Grigson
- Flinders Accelerator for Microbiome Exploration, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia 5042, Australia
| | - George Bouras
- Adelaide Medical School, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
- The Department of Surgery—Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Central Adelaide Local Health Network, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia
| | - Ryan D Hesse
- Flinders Accelerator for Microbiome Exploration, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia 5042, Australia
| | - Laura K Inglis
- Flinders Accelerator for Microbiome Exploration, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia 5042, Australia
| | - Abbey L K Hutton
- Flinders Accelerator for Microbiome Exploration, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia 5042, Australia
| | - Elizabeth A Dinsdale
- Flinders Accelerator for Microbiome Exploration, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia 5042, Australia
| | - Robert A Edwards
- Flinders Accelerator for Microbiome Exploration, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia 5042, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Nada MAL, Ancla JB, Yadao NMR, de Paz VP, Manalaysay JG, Samante FLD, Bigol UG. Isolation and genome sequencing of five lytic bacteriophages from hospital wastewater in the Philippines. Microbiol Resour Announc 2023; 12:e0031123. [PMID: 37526448 PMCID: PMC10508110 DOI: 10.1128/mra.00311-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Here, we report the genome sequences of five bacteriophages isolated from hospital wastewater, including two new species and two candidates for therapeutic application. No virulence, temperate marker and antibiotic resistance genes were found in the genomes of Escherichia phage vB_VIPECOOM03 and Klebsiella phage vB_VIPKPNUMC01, making them suitable candidate for therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael Angelou L. Nada
- Department of Science and Technology, Industrial Technology Development Institute, Taguig City, Philippines
| | - Joseph B. Ancla
- Department of Science and Technology, Industrial Technology Development Institute, Taguig City, Philippines
| | - Nikka Mae R. Yadao
- Department of Science and Technology, Industrial Technology Development Institute, Taguig City, Philippines
| | - Virgilio P. de Paz
- Department of Science and Technology, Industrial Technology Development Institute, Taguig City, Philippines
| | - Jessica G. Manalaysay
- Department of Science and Technology, Industrial Technology Development Institute, Taguig City, Philippines
| | - Fred Lawrence D. Samante
- Department of Science and Technology, Industrial Technology Development Institute, Taguig City, Philippines
| | - Ursela G. Bigol
- Department of Science and Technology, Industrial Technology Development Institute, Taguig City, Philippines
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Mallawaarachchi V, Roach MJ, Decewicz P, Papudeshi B, Giles SK, Grigson SR, Bouras G, Hesse RD, Inglis LK, Hutton ALK, Dinsdale EA, Edwards RA. Phables: from fragmented assemblies to high-quality bacteriophage genomes. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.04.535632. [PMID: 37066369 PMCID: PMC10104058 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.04.535632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/18/2023]
Abstract
Microbial communities influence both human health and different environments. Viruses infecting bacteria, known as bacteriophages or phages, play a key role in modulating bacterial communities within environments. High-quality phage genome sequences are essential for advancing our understanding of phage biology, enabling comparative genomics studies, and developing phage-based diagnostic tools. Most available viral identification tools consider individual sequences to determine whether they are of viral origin. As a result of the challenges in viral assembly, fragmentation of genomes can occur, leading to the need for new approaches in viral identification. Therefore, the identification and characterisation of novel phages remain a challenge. We introduce Phables, a new computational method to resolve phage genomes from fragmented viral metagenome assemblies. Phables identifies phage-like components in the assembly graph, models each component as a flow network, and uses graph algorithms and flow decomposition techniques to identify genomic paths. Experimental results of viral metagenomic samples obtained from different environments show that Phables recovers on average over 49% more high-quality phage genomes compared to existing viral identification tools. Furthermore, Phables can resolve variant phage genomes with over 99% average nucleotide identity, a distinction that existing tools are unable to make. Phables is available on GitHub at https://github.com/Vini2/phables.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vijini Mallawaarachchi
- Flinders Accelerator for Microbiome Exploration, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, Adelaide, SA, 5042, Australia
| | - Michael J Roach
- Flinders Accelerator for Microbiome Exploration, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, Adelaide, SA, 5042, Australia
| | - Przemyslaw Decewicz
- Department of Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology, Institute of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw 02-096, Poland
- Flinders Accelerator for Microbiome Exploration, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, Adelaide, SA, 5042, Australia
| | - Bhavya Papudeshi
- Flinders Accelerator for Microbiome Exploration, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, Adelaide, SA, 5042, Australia
| | - Sarah K Giles
- Flinders Accelerator for Microbiome Exploration, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, Adelaide, SA, 5042, Australia
| | - Susanna R Grigson
- Flinders Accelerator for Microbiome Exploration, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, Adelaide, SA, 5042, Australia
| | - George Bouras
- Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, North Tce, Adelaide, SA, 5000, Australia
| | - Ryan D Hesse
- Flinders Accelerator for Microbiome Exploration, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, Adelaide, SA, 5042, Australia
| | - Laura K Inglis
- Flinders Accelerator for Microbiome Exploration, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, Adelaide, SA, 5042, Australia
| | - Abbey L K Hutton
- Flinders Accelerator for Microbiome Exploration, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, Adelaide, SA, 5042, Australia
| | - Elizabeth A Dinsdale
- Flinders Accelerator for Microbiome Exploration, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, Adelaide, SA, 5042, Australia
| | - Robert A Edwards
- Flinders Accelerator for Microbiome Exploration, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, Adelaide, SA, 5042, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Cobián Güemes AG, Le T, Rojas MI, Jacobson NE, Villela H, McNair K, Hung SH, Han L, Boling L, Octavio JC, Dominguez L, Cantú VA, Archdeacon S, Vega AA, An MA, Hajama H, Burkeen G, Edwards RA, Conrad DJ, Rohwer F, Segall AM. Compounding Achromobacter Phages for Therapeutic Applications. Viruses 2023; 15:1665. [PMID: 37632008 PMCID: PMC10457797 DOI: 10.3390/v15081665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Achromobacter species colonization of Cystic Fibrosis respiratory airways is an increasing concern. Two adult patients with Cystic Fibrosis colonized by Achromobacter xylosoxidans CF418 or Achromobacter ruhlandii CF116 experienced fatal exacerbations. Achromobacter spp. are naturally resistant to several antibiotics. Therefore, phages could be valuable as therapeutics for the control of Achromobacter. In this study, thirteen lytic phages were isolated and characterized at the morphological and genomic levels for potential future use in phage therapy. They are presented here as the Achromobacter Kumeyaay phage collection. Six distinct Achromobacter phage genome clusters were identified based on a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of the Kumeyaay collection as well as the publicly available Achromobacter phages. The infectivity of all phages in the Kumeyaay collection was tested in 23 Achromobacter clinical isolates; 78% of these isolates were lysed by at least one phage. A cryptic prophage was induced in Achromobacter xylosoxidans CF418 when infected with some of the lytic phages. This prophage genome was characterized and is presented as Achromobacter phage CF418-P1. Prophage induction during lytic phage preparation for therapy interventions require further exploration. Large-scale production of phages and removal of endotoxins using an octanol-based procedure resulted in a phage concentrate of 1 × 109 plaque-forming units per milliliter with an endotoxin concentration of 65 endotoxin units per milliliter, which is below the Food and Drugs Administration recommended maximum threshold for human administration. This study provides a comprehensive framework for the isolation, bioinformatic characterization, and safe production of phages to kill Achromobacter spp. in order to potentially manage Cystic Fibrosis (CF) pulmonary infections.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ana Georgina Cobián Güemes
- Department of Biology, Viral Information Institute, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USA
| | - Tram Le
- Department of Biology, Viral Information Institute, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USA
| | - Maria Isabel Rojas
- Department of Biology, Viral Information Institute, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USA
| | - Nicole E. Jacobson
- Department of Biology, Viral Information Institute, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USA
| | - Helena Villela
- Department of Biology, Viral Information Institute, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USA
- Marine Microbiomes Lab, Red Sea Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Building 2, Level 3, Room 3216 WS03, Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Katelyn McNair
- Computational Sciences Research Center, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USA
| | - Shr-Hau Hung
- Department of Biology, Viral Information Institute, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USA
| | - Lili Han
- Department of Biology, Viral Information Institute, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USA
- Research Centre for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Lance Boling
- Department of Biology, Viral Information Institute, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USA
| | - Jessica Claire Octavio
- Department of Biology, Viral Information Institute, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USA
| | - Lorena Dominguez
- Department of Biology, Viral Information Institute, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USA
| | - Vito Adrian Cantú
- Computational Sciences Research Center, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USA
| | - Sinéad Archdeacon
- College of Biological Sciences, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Alejandro A. Vega
- Department of Biology, Viral Information Institute, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USA
- David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90025, USA
| | - Michelle A. An
- Department of Biology, Viral Information Institute, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USA
| | - Hamza Hajama
- Department of Biology, Viral Information Institute, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USA
| | - Gregory Burkeen
- Department of Biology, Viral Information Institute, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USA
| | - Robert A. Edwards
- Department of Biology, Viral Information Institute, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USA
- Computational Sciences Research Center, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USA
- Flinders Accelerator for Microbiome Exploration, Flinders University, Sturt Road, Bedford Park 5042, Australia
| | - Douglas J. Conrad
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA 9500, USA
| | - Forest Rohwer
- Department of Biology, Viral Information Institute, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USA
| | - Anca M. Segall
- Department of Biology, Viral Information Institute, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USA
- Computational Sciences Research Center, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USA
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Tang M, Huang Z, Zhang X, Kong J, Zhou B, Han Y, Zhang Y, Chen L, Zhou T. Phage resistance formation and fitness costs of hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae mediated by K2 capsule-specific phage and the corresponding mechanisms. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1156292. [PMID: 37538841 PMCID: PMC10394836 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1156292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Phage is promising for the treatment of hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (hvKP) infections. Although phage resistance seems inevitable, we found that there still was optimization space in phage therapy for hvKP infection. Methods The clinical isolate K. pneumoniae FK1979 was used to recover the lysis phage ΦFK1979 from hospital sewage. Phage-resistant bacteria were obtained on LB agar and used to isolate phages from sewage. The plaque assay, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), multiplicity of infection test, one-step growth curve assay, and genome analysis were performed to characterize the phages. Colony morphology, precipitation test and scanning electron microscope were used to characterize the bacteria. The absorption test, spot test and efficiency of plating (EOP) assay were used to identify the sensitivity of bacteria to phages. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) was used to identify gene mutations of phage-resistant bacteria. The gene expression levels were detected by RT-qPCR. Genes knockout and complementation of the mutant genes were performed. The change of capsules was detected by capsule quantification and TEM. The growth kinetics, serum resistance, biofilm formation, adhesion and invasion to A549 and RAW 264.7 cells, as well as G. mellonella and mice infection models, were used to evaluate the fitness and virulence of bacteria. Results and discussion Here, we demonstrated that K2 capsule type sequence type 86 hvKP FK1979, one of the main pandemic lineages of hvKP with thick capsule, rapidly developed resistance to a K2-specific lysis phage ΦFK1979 which was well-studied in this work to possess polysaccharide depolymerase. The phage-resistant mutants showed a marked decrease in capsule expression. WGS revealed single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in genes encoding RfaH, galU, sugar glycosyltransferase, and polysaccharide deacetylase family protein in the mutants. RfaH and galU were further identified as being required for capsule production and phage sensitivity. Expressions of genes involved in the biosynthesis or regulation of capsule and/or lipopolysaccharide significantly decreased in the mutants. Despite the rapid and frequent development of phage resistance being a disadvantage, the attenuation of virulence and fitness in vitro and in vivo indicated that phage-resistant mutants of hvKP were more susceptible to the immunity system. Interestingly, the newly isolated phages targeting mutants changed significantly in their plaque and virus particle morphology. Their genomes were much larger than and significantly different from that of ΦFK1979. They possessed much more functional proteins and strikingly broader host spectrums than ΦFK1979. Our study suggests that K2-specific phage has the potential to function as an antivirulence agent, or a part of phage cocktails combined with phages targeting phage-resistant bacteria, against hvKP-relevant infections.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Miran Tang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University and Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnosis and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Zeyu Huang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University and Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnosis and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xiaodong Zhang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University and Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnosis and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jingchun Kong
- Department of Medical Lab Science, School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Beibei Zhou
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University and Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnosis and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yijia Han
- Department of Medical Lab Science, School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Department of Medical Lab Science, School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Lijiang Chen
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University and Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnosis and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Tieli Zhou
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University and Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnosis and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Ichikawa M, Nakamoto N, Kredo-Russo S, Weinstock E, Weiner IN, Khabra E, Ben-Ishai N, Inbar D, Kowalsman N, Mordoch R, Nicenboim J, Golembo M, Zak N, Jablonska J, Sberro-Livnat H, Navok S, Buchshtab N, Suzuki T, Miyamoto K, Teratani T, Fujimori S, Aoto Y, Konda M, Hayashi N, Chu PS, Taniki N, Morikawa R, Kasuga R, Tabuchi T, Sugimoto S, Mikami Y, Shiota A, Bassan M, Kanai T. Bacteriophage therapy against pathological Klebsiella pneumoniae ameliorates the course of primary sclerosing cholangitis. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3261. [PMID: 37277351 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39029-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is characterized by progressive biliary inflammation and fibrosis. Although gut commensals are associated with PSC, their causative roles and therapeutic strategies remain elusive. Here we detect abundant Klebsiella pneumoniae (Kp) and Enterococcus gallinarum in fecal samples from 45 PSC patients, regardless of intestinal complications. Carriers of both pathogens exhibit high disease activity and poor clinical outcomes. Colonization of PSC-derived Kp in specific pathogen-free (SPF) hepatobiliary injury-prone mice enhances hepatic Th17 cell responses and exacerbates liver injury through bacterial translocation to mesenteric lymph nodes. We developed a lytic phage cocktail that targets PSC-derived Kp with a sustained suppressive effect in vitro. Oral administration of the phage cocktail lowers Kp levels in Kp-colonized germ-free mice and SPF mice, without off-target dysbiosis. Furthermore, we demonstrate that oral and intravenous phage administration successfully suppresses Kp levels and attenuates liver inflammation and disease severity in hepatobiliary injury-prone SPF mice. These results collectively suggest that using a lytic phage cocktail shows promise for targeting Kp in PSC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Masataka Ichikawa
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Nobuhiro Nakamoto
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Takahiro Suzuki
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kentaro Miyamoto
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Toshiaki Teratani
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Sota Fujimori
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoshimasa Aoto
- JSR-Keio University Medical and Chemical Innovation Center (JKiC), JSR Corp., Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mikiko Konda
- JSR-Keio University Medical and Chemical Innovation Center (JKiC), JSR Corp., Tokyo, Japan
| | - Naoki Hayashi
- JSR-Keio University Medical and Chemical Innovation Center (JKiC), JSR Corp., Tokyo, Japan
| | - Po-Sung Chu
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Nobuhito Taniki
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Rei Morikawa
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ryosuke Kasuga
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takaya Tabuchi
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shinya Sugimoto
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yohei Mikami
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Atsushi Shiota
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan
- Microbiopharm Japan, Co. Ltd., Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Takanori Kanai
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan.
- Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development, AMED, Tokyo, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Štrancar V, Marušić M, Tušar J, Praček N, Kolenc M, Šuster K, Horvat S, Janež N, Peterka M. Isolation and in vitro characterization of novel S. epidermidis phages for therapeutic applications. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1169135. [PMID: 37293203 PMCID: PMC10244729 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1169135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023] Open
Abstract
S. epidermidis is an important opportunistic pathogen causing chronic prosthetic joint infections associated with biofilm growth. Increased tolerance to antibiotic therapy often requires prolonged treatment or revision surgery. Phage therapy is currently used as compassionate use therapy and continues to be evaluated for its viability as adjunctive therapy to antibiotic treatment or as an alternative treatment for infections caused by S. epidermidis to prevent relapses. In the present study, we report the isolation and in vitro characterization of three novel lytic S. epidermidis phages. Their genome content analysis indicated the absence of antibiotic resistance genes and virulence factors. Detailed investigation of the phage preparation indicated the absence of any prophage-related contamination and demonstrated the importance of selecting appropriate hosts for phage development from the outset. The isolated phages infect a high proportion of clinically relevant S. epidermidis strains and several other coagulase-negative species growing both in planktonic culture and as a biofilm. Clinical strains differing in their biofilm phenotype and antibiotic resistance profile were selected to further identify possible mechanisms behind increased tolerance to isolated phages.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vida Štrancar
- Centre of Excellence for Biosensors, Instrumentation and Process Control, Ajdovščina, Slovenia
- Department of Animal Science, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Domžale, Slovenia
| | - Monika Marušić
- Centre of Excellence for Biosensors, Instrumentation and Process Control, Ajdovščina, Slovenia
| | - Jasmina Tušar
- Centre of Excellence for Biosensors, Instrumentation and Process Control, Ajdovščina, Slovenia
| | - Neža Praček
- Centre of Excellence for Biosensors, Instrumentation and Process Control, Ajdovščina, Slovenia
| | - Marko Kolenc
- Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Katja Šuster
- Valdoltra Orthopaedic Hospital, Ankaran, Slovenia
| | - Simon Horvat
- Department of Animal Science, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Domžale, Slovenia
| | - Nika Janež
- Centre of Excellence for Biosensors, Instrumentation and Process Control, Ajdovščina, Slovenia
| | - Matjaž Peterka
- Centre of Excellence for Biosensors, Instrumentation and Process Control, Ajdovščina, Slovenia
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Arnau V, Díaz-Villanueva W, Mifsut Benet J, Villasante P, Beamud B, Mompó P, Sanjuan R, González-Candelas F, Domingo-Calap P, Džunková M. Inference of the Life Cycle of Environmental Phages from Genomic Signature Distances to Their Hosts. Viruses 2023; 15:v15051196. [PMID: 37243281 DOI: 10.3390/v15051196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Revised: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The environmental impact of uncultured phages is shaped by their preferred life cycle (lytic or lysogenic). However, our ability to predict it is very limited. We aimed to discriminate between lytic and lysogenic phages by comparing the similarity of their genomic signatures to those of their hosts, reflecting their co-evolution. We tested two approaches: (1) similarities of tetramer relative frequencies, (2) alignment-free comparisons based on exact k = 14 oligonucleotide matches. First, we explored 5126 reference bacterial host strains and 284 associated phages and found an approximate threshold for distinguishing lysogenic and lytic phages using both oligonucleotide-based methods. The analysis of 6482 plasmids revealed the potential for horizontal gene transfer between different host genera and, in some cases, distant bacterial taxa. Subsequently, we experimentally analyzed combinations of 138 Klebsiella pneumoniae strains and their 41 phages and found that the phages with the largest number of interactions with these strains in the laboratory had the shortest genomic distances to K. pneumoniae. We then applied our methods to 24 single-cells from a hot spring biofilm containing 41 uncultured phage-host pairs, and the results were compatible with the lysogenic life cycle of phages detected in this environment. In conclusion, oligonucleotide-based genome analysis methods can be used for predictions of (1) life cycles of environmental phages, (2) phages with the broadest host range in culture collections, and (3) potential horizontal gene transfer by plasmids.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vicente Arnau
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology, University of Valencia and Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), 46980 Valencia, Spain
- Foundation for the Promotion of Sanitary and Biomedical Research of the Valencian Community (FISABIO), 46020 Valencia, Spain
- CIBER in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBEResp), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Wladimiro Díaz-Villanueva
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology, University of Valencia and Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), 46980 Valencia, Spain
- Foundation for the Promotion of Sanitary and Biomedical Research of the Valencian Community (FISABIO), 46020 Valencia, Spain
- CIBER in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBEResp), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Jorge Mifsut Benet
- Department of Space, Earth and Environment, Chalmers University of Technology, 41296 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | | | - Beatriz Beamud
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology, University of Valencia and Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), 46980 Valencia, Spain
- Foundation for the Promotion of Sanitary and Biomedical Research of the Valencian Community (FISABIO), 46020 Valencia, Spain
| | - Paula Mompó
- Foundation for the Promotion of Sanitary and Biomedical Research of the Valencian Community (FISABIO), 46020 Valencia, Spain
| | - Rafael Sanjuan
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology, University of Valencia and Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), 46980 Valencia, Spain
| | - Fernando González-Candelas
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology, University of Valencia and Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), 46980 Valencia, Spain
- Foundation for the Promotion of Sanitary and Biomedical Research of the Valencian Community (FISABIO), 46020 Valencia, Spain
- CIBER in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBEResp), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Pilar Domingo-Calap
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology, University of Valencia and Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), 46980 Valencia, Spain
| | - Mária Džunková
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology, University of Valencia and Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), 46980 Valencia, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
do Socorro Fôro Ramos E, Bahia SL, de Oliveira Ribeiro G, Villanova F, de Pádua Milagres FA, Brustulin R, Pandey RP, Deng X, Delwart E, da Costa AC, Leal É. Characterization of Phietavirus Henu 2 in the virome of individuals with acute gastroenteritis. Virus Genes 2023; 59:464-472. [PMID: 37004601 DOI: 10.1007/s11262-023-01990-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/04/2023]
Abstract
There is a growing interest in phages as potential biotechnological tools in human health owing to the antibacterial activity of these viruses. In this study, we characterized a new member (named PhiV_005_BRA/2016) of the recently identified phage species Phietavirus Henu 2. PhiV_005_BRA/2016 was detected through metagenomic analysis of stool samples of individuals with acute gastroenteritis. PhiV_005_BRA/2016 contains double-stranded linear DNA (dsDNA), it has a genome of 43,513 base pairs (bp), with a high identity score (99%) with phage of the genus Phietavirus, species of Phietavirus Henu 2. Life style prediction indicated that PhiV_005_BRA/2016 is a lysogenic phage whose the main host is methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Indeed, we found PhiV_005_BRA/2016 partially integrated in the genome of distinct MRSA strains. Our findings highlights the importance of large-scale screening of bacteriophages to better understand the emergence of multi-drug resistant bacterial.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Endrya do Socorro Fôro Ramos
- Laboratório de Diversidade Viral, Instituto de Ciências Biológicais, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Pará, 66075-000, Brazil
| | - Santana Lobato Bahia
- Laboratório de Diversidade Viral, Instituto de Ciências Biológicais, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Pará, 66075-000, Brazil
| | - Geovani de Oliveira Ribeiro
- Laboratório de Diversidade Viral, Instituto de Ciências Biológicais, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Pará, 66075-000, Brazil
| | - Fabiola Villanova
- Laboratório de Diversidade Viral, Instituto de Ciências Biológicais, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Pará, 66075-000, Brazil
| | - Flávio Augusto de Pádua Milagres
- Secretaria de Saúde do Tocantins, Palmas, Tocantins, 77453-000, Brazil
- Laboratório Central de Saúde Pública do Tocantins (LACEN/TO), Palmas, Tocantins, 77016-330, Brazil
| | - Rafael Brustulin
- Secretaria de Saúde do Tocantins, Palmas, Tocantins, 77453-000, Brazil
- Laboratório Central de Saúde Pública do Tocantins (LACEN/TO), Palmas, Tocantins, 77016-330, Brazil
| | - Ramendra Pati Pandey
- Centre for Drug Design Discovery and Development (C4D), SRM University Delhi-NCR, Rajiv Gandhi Education City, Sonepat, Haryana, 131029, India
| | - Xutao Deng
- Vitalant Research Institute, 270 Masonic Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94118-4417, USA
- Department Laboratory Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Eric Delwart
- Vitalant Research Institute, 270 Masonic Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94118-4417, USA
- Department Laboratory Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | | | - Élcio Leal
- Laboratório de Diversidade Viral, Instituto de Ciências Biológicais, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Pará, 66075-000, Brazil.
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Mohammadi M, Saffari M, Siadat SD, Hejazi SH, Shayestehpour M, Motallebi M, Eidi M. Isolation, characterization, therapeutic potency, and genomic analysis of a novel bacteriophage vB_KshKPC-M against carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae strains (CRKP) isolated from Ventilator-associated pneumoniae (VAP) infection of COVID-19 patients. Ann Clin Microbiol Antimicrob 2023; 22:18. [PMID: 36829156 PMCID: PMC9955523 DOI: 10.1186/s12941-023-00567-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 02/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) is a significant clinical problem, given the lack of therapeutic options. The CRKP strains have emerged as an essential worldwide healthcare issue during the last 10 years. Global expansion of the CRKP has made it a significant public health hazard. We must consider to novel therapeutic techniques. Bacteriophages are potent restorative cases against infections with multiple drug-resistant bacteria. The Phages offer promising prospects for the treatment of CRKP infections. OBJECTIVE In this study, a novel K. pneumoniae phage vB_KshKPC-M was isolated, characterized, and sequenced, which was able to infect and lyse Carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae host specifically. METHODS One hundred clinical isolates of K. pneumoniae were collected from patients with COVID-19 associated with ventilator-associated acute pneumonia hospitalized at Shahid Beheshti Hospital, Kashan, Iran, from 2020 to 2021. Initially, all samples were cultured, and bacterial isolates identified by conventional biochemical tests, and then the ureD gene was used by PCR to confirm the isolates. The Antibiotic susceptibility test in the disc diffusion method and Minimum inhibitory concentrations for Colistin was done and interpreted according to guidelines. Phenotypic and molecular methods determined the Carbapenem resistance of isolates. The blaKPC, blaNDM, and blaOXA-23 genes were amplified for this detection. Biofilm determination of CRKP isolates was performed using a quantitative microtiter plate (MTP) method. The phage was isolated from wastewater during the summer season at a specific position from Beheshti Hospital (Kashan, Iran). The sample was processed and purified against the bacterial host, a CRKP strain isolated from a patient suffering from COVID-19 pneumoniae and resistance to Colistin with high potency for biofilm production. This isolate is called Kp100. The separated phages were diluted and titration by the double overlay agar plaque assay. The separate Phage is concentrated with 10% PEG and stored at -80 °C until use. The phage host range was identified by the spot test method. The purified phage morphology was determined using a transmission electron microscope. The phage stability tests (pH and temperature) were analyzed. The effect of cationic ions on phage adsorption was evaluated. The optimal titer of bacteriophage was determined to reduce the concentration of the CRKP strain. One-step growth assays were performed to identify the purified phage burst's latent cycle and size. The SDS-PAGE was used for phage proteins analysis. Phage DNA was extracted by chloroform technique, and the whole genome of lytic phage was sequenced using Illumina HiSeq technology (Illumina, San Diego, CA). For quality assurance and preprocessing, such as trimming, Geneious Prime 2021.2.2 and Spades 3.9.0. The whole genome sequence of the lytic phage is linked to the GenBank database accession number. RASTtk-v1.073 was used to predict and annotate the ORFs. Prediction of ORF was performed using PHASTER software. ResFinder is used to assess the presence of antimicrobial resistance and virulence genes in the genome. The tRNAs can-SE v2.0.6 is used to determine the presence of tRNA in the genome. Linear genome comparisons of phages and visualization of coding regions were performed using Easyfig 2.2.3 and Mauve 2.4.0. Phage lifestyles were predicted using the program PHACTS. Phylogenetic analysis and amino acid sequences of phage core proteins, such as the major capsid protein. Phylogenies were reconstructed using the Neighbor-Joining method with 1000 bootstrap repeat. HHpred software was used to predict depolymerase. In this study, GraphPad Prism version 9.1 was used for the statistical analysis. Student's t-test was used to compare the sets and the control sets, and the significance level was set at P ≤ 0.05. RESULTS Phage vB_KshKPC-M is assigned to the Siphoviridae, order Caudovirales. It was identified as a linear double-stranded DNA phage of 54,378 bp with 50.08% G + C content, had a relatively broad host range (97.7%), a short latency of 20 min, and a high burst size of 260 PFU/cell, and was maintained stable at different pH (3-11) and temperature (45-65 °C). The vB_KshKPC-M genome contains 91 open-reading frames. No tRNA, antibiotic resistance, toxin, virulence-related genes, or lysogen-forming gene clusters were detected in the phage genome. Comparative genomic analysis revealed that phage vB_KshKPC-M has sequence similarity to the Klebsiella phages, phage 13 (NC_049844.1), phage Sushi (NC_028774.1), phage vB_KpnD_PeteCarol (OL539448.1) and phage PWKp14 (MZ634345.1). CONCLUSION The broad host range and antibacterial activity make it a promising candidate for future phage therapy applications. The isolated phage was able to lyse most of the antibiotic-resistant clinical isolates. Therefore, this phage can be used alone or as a phage mixture in future studies to control and inhibit respiratory infections caused by these bacteria, especially in treating respiratory infections caused by resistant strains in sick patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mehrdad Mohammadi
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Pezeshk Blvd, Qotbe Ravandi Blvd, Kashan, 8715973449 Iran
| | - Mahmood Saffari
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Pezeshk Blvd, Qotbe Ravandi Blvd, Kashan, 8715973449 Iran
| | - Seyed Davar Siadat
- Tuberculosis and Pulmonary Research Department, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
- Microbiology Research Center (MRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyed Hossein Hejazi
- Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Mohammad Shayestehpour
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Pezeshk Blvd, Qotbe Ravandi Blvd, Kashan, 8715973449 Iran
| | - Mitra Motallebi
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Pezeshk Blvd, Qotbe Ravandi Blvd, Kashan, 8715973449 Iran
| | - Milad Eidi
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Cui K, Li P, Huang J, Lin F, Li R, Cao D, Hao G, Sun S. Salmonella Phage CKT1 Effectively Controls the Vertical Transmission of Salmonella Pullorum in Adult Broiler Breeders. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:biology12020312. [PMID: 36829587 PMCID: PMC9952982 DOI: 10.3390/biology12020312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2022] [Revised: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
Phage therapy is widely being reconsidered as an alternative to antibiotics for the treatment of multidrug-resistant bacterial infections, including salmonellosis caused by Salmonella. As facultative intracellular parasites, Salmonella could spread by vertical transmission and pose a great threat to both human and animal health; however, whether phage treatment might provide an optional strategy for controlling bacterial vertical infection remains unknown. Herein, we explored the effect of phage therapy on controlling the vertical transmission of Salmonella enterica serovar Gallinarum biovar Pullorum (S. Pullorum), a poultry pathogen that causes economic losses worldwide due to high mortality and morbidity. A Salmonella phage CKT1 with lysis ability against several S. enterica serovars was isolated and showed that it could inhibit the proliferation of S. Pullorum in vitro efficiently. We then evaluated the effect of phage CKT1 on controlling the vertical transmission of S. Pullorum in an adult broiler breeder model. The results demonstrated that phage CKT1 significantly alleviated hepatic injury and decreased bacterial load in the liver, spleen, heart, ovary, and oviduct of hens, implying that phage CKT1 played an active role in the elimination of Salmonella colonization in adult chickens. Additionally, phage CKT1 enabled a reduction in the Salmonella-specific IgG level in the serum of infected chickens. More importantly, the decrease in the S. Pullorum load on eggshells and in liquid whole eggs revealed that phage CKT1 effectively controlled the vertical transmission of S. Pullorum from hens to laid eggs, indicating the potential ability of phages to control bacterial vertical transmission.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ketong Cui
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Animal Science and Technology, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an 271018, China
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology and Disease Control and Prevention, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an 271018, China
| | - Peiyong Li
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Animal Science and Technology, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an 271018, China
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology and Disease Control and Prevention, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an 271018, China
| | - Jiaqi Huang
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Animal Science and Technology, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an 271018, China
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology and Disease Control and Prevention, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an 271018, China
| | - Fang Lin
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Animal Science and Technology, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an 271018, China
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology and Disease Control and Prevention, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an 271018, China
| | - Ruibo Li
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Animal Science and Technology, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an 271018, China
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology and Disease Control and Prevention, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an 271018, China
| | - Dingguo Cao
- Poultry Research Institute of Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan 250000, China
| | - Guijuan Hao
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Animal Science and Technology, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an 271018, China
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology and Disease Control and Prevention, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an 271018, China
- Correspondence: (G.H.); (S.S.); Tel.: +86-182-5202-6546 (G.H.); +86-137-0538-9710 (S.S.)
| | - Shuhong Sun
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Animal Science and Technology, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an 271018, China
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology and Disease Control and Prevention, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an 271018, China
- Correspondence: (G.H.); (S.S.); Tel.: +86-182-5202-6546 (G.H.); +86-137-0538-9710 (S.S.)
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Kim Y, Lee SM, Nong LK, Kim J, Kim SB, Kim D. Characterization of Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteriophages, KP1 and KP12, with deep learning-based structure prediction. Front Microbiol 2023; 13:990910. [PMID: 36762092 PMCID: PMC9902359 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.990910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Concerns over Klebsiella pneumoniae resistance to the last-line antibiotic treatment have prompted a reconsideration of bacteriophage therapy in public health. Biotechnological application of phages and their gene products as an alternative to antibiotics necessitates the understanding of their genomic context. This study sequenced, annotated, characterized, and compared two Klebsiella phages, KP1 and KP12. Physiological validations identified KP1 and KP12 as members of Myoviridae family. Both phages showed that their activities were stable in a wide range of pH and temperature. They exhibit a host specificity toward K. pneumoniae with a broad intraspecies host range. General features of genome size, coding density, percentage GC content, and phylogenetic analyses revealed that these bacteriophages are distantly related. Phage lytic proteins (endolysin, anti-/holin, spanin) identified by the local alignment against different databases, were subjected to further bioinformatic analyses including three-dimensional (3D) structure prediction by AlphaFold. AlphaFold models of phage lysis proteins were consistent with the published X-ray crystal structures, suggesting the presence of T4-like and P1/P2-like bacteriophage lysis proteins in KP1 and KP12, respectively. By providing the primary sequence information, this study contributes novel bacteriophages for research and development pipelines of phage therapy that ultimately, cater to the unmet clinical and industrial needs against K. pneumoniae pathogens.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Youngju Kim
- Optipharm Inc., Cheongju-si, Chungcheongbuk-do, Republic of Korea,Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, College of Biological Science and Biotechnology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang-Mok Lee
- School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, Republic of Korea
| | - Linh Khanh Nong
- School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, Republic of Korea
| | - Jaehyung Kim
- School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung Bum Kim
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, College of Biological Science and Biotechnology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Donghyuk Kim
- School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, Republic of Korea,*Correspondence: Donghyuk Kim,
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Bajiya N, Dhall A, Aggarwal S, Raghava GPS. Advances in the field of phage-based therapy with special emphasis on computational resources. Brief Bioinform 2023; 24:6961791. [PMID: 36575815 DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbac574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Revised: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
In the current era, one of the major challenges is to manage the treatment of drug/antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria. Phage therapy, a century-old technique, may serve as an alternative to antibiotics in treating bacterial infections caused by drug-resistant strains of bacteria. In this review, a systematic attempt has been made to summarize phage-based therapy in depth. This review has been divided into the following two sections: general information and computer-aided phage therapy (CAPT). In the case of general information, we cover the history of phage therapy, the mechanism of action, the status of phage-based products (approved and clinical trials) and the challenges. This review emphasizes CAPT, where we have covered primary phage-associated resources, phage prediction methods and pipelines. This review covers a wide range of databases and resources, including viral genomes and proteins, phage receptors, host genomes of phages, phage-host interactions and lytic proteins. In the post-genomic era, identifying the most suitable phage for lysing a drug-resistant strain of bacterium is crucial for developing alternate treatments for drug-resistant bacteria and this remains a challenging problem. Thus, we compile all phage-associated prediction methods that include the prediction of phages for a bacterial strain, the host for a phage and the identification of interacting phage-host pairs. Most of these methods have been developed using machine learning and deep learning techniques. This review also discussed recent advances in the field of CAPT, where we briefly describe computational tools available for predicting phage virions, the life cycle of phages and prophage identification. Finally, we describe phage-based therapy's advantages, challenges and opportunities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nisha Bajiya
- Department of Computational Biology, Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Okhla Phase 3, New Delhi, 110020, India
| | - Anjali Dhall
- Department of Computational Biology, Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Okhla Phase 3, New Delhi, 110020, India
| | - Suchet Aggarwal
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Okhla Phase 3, New Delhi, 110020, India
| | - Gajendra P S Raghava
- Department of Computational Biology, Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Okhla Phase 3, New Delhi, 110020, India
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Shang J, Tang X, Sun Y. PhaTYP: predicting the lifestyle for bacteriophages using BERT. Brief Bioinform 2023; 24:bbac487. [PMID: 36659812 PMCID: PMC9851330 DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbac487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 42.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophages (or phages), which infect bacteria, have two distinct lifestyles: virulent and temperate. Predicting the lifestyle of phages helps decipher their interactions with their bacterial hosts, aiding phages' applications in fields such as phage therapy. Because experimental methods for annotating the lifestyle of phages cannot keep pace with the fast accumulation of sequenced phages, computational method for predicting phages' lifestyles has become an attractive alternative. Despite some promising results, computational lifestyle prediction remains difficult because of the limited known annotations and the sheer amount of sequenced phage contigs assembled from metagenomic data. In particular, most of the existing tools cannot precisely predict phages' lifestyles for short contigs. In this work, we develop PhaTYP (Phage TYPe prediction tool) to improve the accuracy of lifestyle prediction on short contigs. We design two different training tasks, self-supervised and fine-tuning tasks, to overcome lifestyle prediction difficulties. We rigorously tested and compared PhaTYP with four state-of-the-art methods: DeePhage, PHACTS, PhagePred and BACPHLIP. The experimental results show that PhaTYP outperforms all these methods and achieves more stable performance on short contigs. In addition, we demonstrated the utility of PhaTYP for analyzing the phage lifestyle on human neonates' gut data. This application shows that PhaTYP is a useful means for studying phages in metagenomic data and helps extend our understanding of microbial communities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jiayu Shang
- Department of Electrical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China SAR
| | - Xubo Tang
- Department of Electrical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China SAR
| | - Yanni Sun
- Department of Electrical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China SAR
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Phage Therapy for Crops: Concepts, Experimental and Bioinformatics Approaches to Direct Its Application. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 24:ijms24010325. [PMID: 36613768 PMCID: PMC9820149 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24010325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Phage therapy consists of applying bacteriophages, whose natural function is to kill specific bacteria. Bacteriophages are safe, evolve together with their host, and are environmentally friendly. At present, the indiscriminate use of antibiotics and salt minerals (Zn2+ or Cu2+) has caused the emergence of resistant strains that infect crops, causing difficulties and loss of food production. Phage therapy is an alternative that has shown positive results and can improve the treatments available for agriculture. However, the success of phage therapy depends on finding effective bacteriophages. This review focused on describing the potential, up to now, of applying phage therapy as an alternative treatment against bacterial diseases, with sustainable improvement in food production. We described the current isolation techniques, characterization, detection, and selection of lytic phages, highlighting the importance of complementary studies using genome analysis of the phage and its host. Finally, among these studies, we concentrated on the most relevant bacteriophages used for biocontrol of Pseudomonas spp., Xanthomonas spp., Pectobacterium spp., Ralstonia spp., Burkholderia spp., Dickeya spp., Clavibacter michiganensis, and Agrobacterium tumefaciens as agents that cause damage to crops, and affect food production around the world.
Collapse
|
38
|
Identification of Novel Viruses and Their Microbial Hosts from Soils with Long-Term Nitrogen Fertilization and Cover Cropping Management. mSystems 2022; 7:e0057122. [PMID: 36445691 PMCID: PMC9765229 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00571-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Soils are the largest organic carbon reservoir and are key to global biogeochemical cycling, and microbes are the major drivers of carbon and nitrogen transformations in the soil systems. Thus, virus infection-induced microbial mortality could impact soil microbial structure and functions. In this study, we recovered 260 viral operational taxonomic units (vOTUs) in samples collected from soil taken from four nitrogen fertilization (N-fertilization) and cover-cropping practices at an experimental site under continuous cotton production evaluating conservation agricultural management systems for more than 40 years. Only ~6% of the vOTUs identified were clustered with known viruses in the RefSeq database using a gene-sharing network. We found that 14% of 260 vOTUs could be linked to microbial hosts that cover key carbon and nitrogen cycling taxa, including Acidobacteriota, Proteobacteria, Verrucomicrobiota, Firmicutes, and ammonia-oxidizing archaea, i.e., Nitrososphaeria (phylum Thermoproteota). Viral diversity, community structure, and the positive correlation between abundance of a virus and its host indicate that viruses and microbes are more sensitive to N-fertilization than cover-cropping treatment. Viruses may influence key carbon and nitrogen cycling through control of microbial function and host populations (e.g., Chthoniobacterales and Nitrososphaerales). These findings provide an initial view of soil viral ecology and how it is influenced by long-term conservation agricultural management. IMPORTANCE Bacterial viruses are extremely small and abundant particles that can control the microbial abundance and community composition through infection, which gradually showed their vital roles in the ecological process to influence the nutrient flow. Compared to the substrate control, less is known about the influence of soil viruses on microbial community function, and even less is known about microbial and viral diversity in the soil system. To obtain a more complete knowledge of microbial function dynamics, the interaction between microbes and viruses cannot be ignored. To fully understand this process, it is fundamental to get insight into the correlation between the diversity of viral communities and bacteria which could induce these changes.
Collapse
|
39
|
Raveendran K, Vaiyapuri M, Benala M, Sivam V, Badireddy MR. Diverse infective and lytic machineries identified in genome analysis of tailed coliphages against broad spectrum multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli. Int Microbiol 2022:10.1007/s10123-022-00310-4. [PMID: 36504140 DOI: 10.1007/s10123-022-00310-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) E. coli with deleterious consequences to the health of humans and animals has been attributed to the inappropriate use of antibiotics. Without effective antimicrobials, the success of modern medicine in treating infections would be at an increased risk. Bacteriophages could be used as an alternative to antibiotics for controlling the dissemination of MDR bacteria. However, before their use, the bacteriophages have to be assessed for the safety aspect. In this study, three broad host range highly virulent coliphage genomes were sequenced, characterized for infective and lytic potential, and checked for the presence of virulence and resistance genes. The genome sequencing indicated that coliphages ϕEC-S-21 and ϕEC-OE-11 belonged to Myoviridae, whereas coliphage ϕEC-S-24 belonged to the Autographiviridae family derived from the Podoviridae family. The genome size of the three coliphages ranged between 24 and 145 kb, with G + C content ranging between 37 and 51%. Coding sequences (CDS) ranged between 30 and 251 amino acids. The CDS were annotated and the proteins were categorized into different modules, viz., phage structural proteins, proteins associated with DNA replication, DNA modification, bacterial cell lysis, phage packaging, and uncharacterized proteins. The presence of tRNAs was detected only in coliphage ϕEC-OE-11. All three coliphages possessed diverse infective and lytic mechanisms, viz., lytic murein transglycosylase, peptidoglycan transglycosylase, n-acetylmuramoyl-l-alanine amidase, and putative lysozyme. Furthermore, the three coliphage genomes showed neither the presence of antibiotic resistance genes nor virulence genes, which makes them desirable candidates for use in phage therapy-based applications.
Collapse
|
40
|
Busse L, Tisza M, DiRuggiero J. Viruses Ubiquity and Diversity in Atacama Desert Endolithic Communities. Viruses 2022; 14:1983. [PMID: 36146789 PMCID: PMC9500819 DOI: 10.3390/v14091983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Viruses are key players in the environment, and recent metagenomic studies have revealed their diversity and genetic complexity. Despite progress in understanding the ecology of viruses in extreme environments, viruses' dynamics and functional roles in dryland ecosystems, which cover about 45% of the Earth's land surfaces, remain largely unexplored. This study characterizes virus sequences in the metagenomes of endolithic (within rock) microbial communities ubiquitously found in hyper-arid deserts. Taxonomic classification and network construction revealed the presence of novel and diverse viruses in communities inhabiting calcite, gypsum, and ignimbrite rocks. Viral genome maps show a high level of protein diversity within and across endolithic communities and the presence of virus-encoded auxiliary metabolic genes. Phage-host relationships were predicted by matching tRNA, CRISPR spacer, and protein sequences in the viral and microbial metagenomes. Primary producers and heterotrophic bacteria were found to be putative hosts to some viruses. Intriguingly, viral diversity was not correlated with microbial diversity across rock substrates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Leora Busse
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Mike Tisza
- The Alkek Center for Metagenomics and Microbiome Research, Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jocelyne DiRuggiero
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Ngiam L, Weynberg KD, Guo J. The presence of plasmids in bacterial hosts alters phage isolation and infectivity. ISME COMMUNICATIONS 2022; 2:75. [PMID: 37938681 PMCID: PMC9723711 DOI: 10.1038/s43705-022-00158-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Revised: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance genes are often carried by plasmids, which spread intra- and inter genera bacterial populations, and also play a critical role in bacteria conferring phage resistance. However, it remains unknown about the influence of plasmids present in bacterial hosts on phage isolation and subsequent infectivity. In this study, using both Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas putida bacteria containing different plasmids, eight phages were isolated and characterized in terms of phage morphology and host range analysis, in conjunction with DNA and protein sequencing. We found that plasmids can influence both the phage isolation process and phage infectivity. In particular, the isolated phages exhibited different phage plaquing infectivity towards the same bacterial species containing different plasmids. Furthermore, the presence of plasmids was found to alter the expression of bacteria membrane protein, which correlates with bacterial cell surface receptors recognized by phages, thus affecting phage isolation and infectivity. Given the diverse and ubiquitous nature of plasmids, our findings highlight the need to consider plasmids as factors that can influence both phage isolation and infectivity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lyman Ngiam
- Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Karen D Weynberg
- Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Jianhua Guo
- Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Targeted suppression of human IBD-associated gut microbiota commensals by phage consortia for treatment of intestinal inflammation. Cell 2022; 185:2879-2898.e24. [PMID: 35931020 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 188] [Impact Index Per Article: 94.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Revised: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Human gut commensals are increasingly suggested to impact non-communicable diseases, such as inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), yet their targeted suppression remains a daunting unmet challenge. In four geographically distinct IBD cohorts (n = 537), we identify a clade of Klebsiella pneumoniae (Kp) strains, featuring a unique antibiotics resistance and mobilome signature, to be strongly associated with disease exacerbation and severity. Transfer of clinical IBD-associated Kp strains into colitis-prone, germ-free, and colonized mice enhances intestinal inflammation. Stepwise generation of a lytic five-phage combination, targeting sensitive and resistant IBD-associated Kp clade members through distinct mechanisms, enables effective Kp suppression in colitis-prone mice, driving an attenuated inflammation and disease severity. Proof-of-concept assessment of Kp-targeting phages in an artificial human gut and in healthy volunteers demonstrates gastric acid-dependent phage resilience, safety, and viability in the lower gut. Collectively, we demonstrate the feasibility of orally administered combination phage therapy in avoiding resistance, while effectively inhibiting non-communicable disease-contributing pathobionts.
Collapse
|
43
|
El Haddad L, Angelidakis G, Clark JR, Mendoza JF, Terwilliger AL, Chaftari CP, Duna M, Yusuf ST, Harb CP, Stibich M, Maresso A, Chemaly RF. Genomic and Functional Characterization of Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci-Specific Bacteriophages in the Galleria mellonella Wax Moth Larvae Model. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:1591. [PMID: 36015218 PMCID: PMC9414631 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14081591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Phages are naturally occurring viruses that selectively kill bacterial species without disturbing the individual's normal flora, averting the collateral damage of antimicrobial usage. The safety and the effectiveness of phages have been mainly confirmed in the food industry as well as in animal models. In this study, we report on the successful isolation of phages specific to Vancomycin-resistant Enterococci, including Enterococcus faecium (VREfm) and Enterococcus faecalis from sewage samples, and demonstrate their efficacy and safety for VREfm infection in the greater wax moth Galleria mellonella model. No virulence-associated genes, antibiotic resistance genes or integrases were detected in the phages' genomes, rendering them safe to be used in an in vivo model. Phages may be considered as potential agents for therapy for bacterial infections secondary to multidrug-resistant organisms such as VREfm.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lynn El Haddad
- Department of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; (L.E.H.); (J.F.M.)
| | - Georgios Angelidakis
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control and Employee Health, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (G.A.); (C.P.C.); (M.D.); (S.T.Y.); (C.P.H.); (M.S.)
| | - Justin R. Clark
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (J.R.C.); (A.L.T.); (A.M.)
| | - Jesus F. Mendoza
- Department of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; (L.E.H.); (J.F.M.)
| | - Austen L. Terwilliger
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (J.R.C.); (A.L.T.); (A.M.)
| | - Christopher P. Chaftari
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control and Employee Health, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (G.A.); (C.P.C.); (M.D.); (S.T.Y.); (C.P.H.); (M.S.)
| | - Mark Duna
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control and Employee Health, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (G.A.); (C.P.C.); (M.D.); (S.T.Y.); (C.P.H.); (M.S.)
| | - Serena T. Yusuf
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control and Employee Health, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (G.A.); (C.P.C.); (M.D.); (S.T.Y.); (C.P.H.); (M.S.)
| | - Cynthia P. Harb
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control and Employee Health, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (G.A.); (C.P.C.); (M.D.); (S.T.Y.); (C.P.H.); (M.S.)
| | - Mark Stibich
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control and Employee Health, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (G.A.); (C.P.C.); (M.D.); (S.T.Y.); (C.P.H.); (M.S.)
- Xenex Disinfection Services, San Antonio, TX 78216, USA
| | - Anthony Maresso
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (J.R.C.); (A.L.T.); (A.M.)
| | - Roy F. Chemaly
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control and Employee Health, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (G.A.); (C.P.C.); (M.D.); (S.T.Y.); (C.P.H.); (M.S.)
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Sprotte S, Rasmussen TS, Cho GS, Brinks E, Lametsch R, Neve H, Vogensen FK, Nielsen DS, Franz CMAP. Morphological and Genetic Characterization of Eggerthella lenta Bacteriophage PMBT5. Viruses 2022; 14:1598. [PMID: 35893664 PMCID: PMC9394477 DOI: 10.3390/v14081598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Revised: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Eggerthella lenta is a common member of the human gut microbiome. We here describe the isolation and characterization of a putative virulent bacteriophage having E. lenta as host. The double-layer agar method for isolating phages was adapted to anaerobic conditions for isolating bacteriophage PMBT5 from sewage on a strictly anaerobic E. lenta strain of intestinal origin. For this, anaerobically grown E. lenta cells were concentrated by centrifugation and used for a 24 h phage enrichment step. Subsequently, this suspension was added to anaerobically prepared top (soft) agar in Hungate tubes and further used in the double-layer agar method. Based on morphological characteristics observed by transmission electron microscopy, phage PMBT5 could be assigned to the Siphoviridae phage family. It showed an isometric head with a flexible, noncontractile tail and a distinct single 45 nm tail fiber under the baseplate. Genome sequencing and assembly resulted in one contig of 30,930 bp and a mol% GC content of 51.3, consisting of 44 predicted protein-encoding genes. Phage-related proteins could be largely identified based on their amino acid sequence, and a comparison with metagenomes in the human virome database showed that the phage genome exhibits similarity to two distantly related phages.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Sprotte
- Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Max Rubner-Institut, Federal Research Institute of Nutrition and Food, 24103 Kiel, Germany; (G.-S.C.); (E.B.); (H.N.); (C.M.A.P.F.)
| | - Torben S. Rasmussen
- Department of Food Science, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, 1958 Frederiksberg, Denmark; (T.S.R.); (R.L.); (F.K.V.); (D.S.N.)
| | - Gyu-Sung Cho
- Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Max Rubner-Institut, Federal Research Institute of Nutrition and Food, 24103 Kiel, Germany; (G.-S.C.); (E.B.); (H.N.); (C.M.A.P.F.)
| | - Erik Brinks
- Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Max Rubner-Institut, Federal Research Institute of Nutrition and Food, 24103 Kiel, Germany; (G.-S.C.); (E.B.); (H.N.); (C.M.A.P.F.)
| | - René Lametsch
- Department of Food Science, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, 1958 Frederiksberg, Denmark; (T.S.R.); (R.L.); (F.K.V.); (D.S.N.)
| | - Horst Neve
- Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Max Rubner-Institut, Federal Research Institute of Nutrition and Food, 24103 Kiel, Germany; (G.-S.C.); (E.B.); (H.N.); (C.M.A.P.F.)
| | - Finn K. Vogensen
- Department of Food Science, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, 1958 Frederiksberg, Denmark; (T.S.R.); (R.L.); (F.K.V.); (D.S.N.)
| | - Dennis S. Nielsen
- Department of Food Science, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, 1958 Frederiksberg, Denmark; (T.S.R.); (R.L.); (F.K.V.); (D.S.N.)
| | - Charles M. A. P. Franz
- Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Max Rubner-Institut, Federal Research Institute of Nutrition and Food, 24103 Kiel, Germany; (G.-S.C.); (E.B.); (H.N.); (C.M.A.P.F.)
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Ataee S, Brochet X, Peña-Reyes CA. Bacteriophage Genetic Edition Using LSTM. FRONTIERS IN BIOINFORMATICS 2022; 2:932319. [PMID: 36353213 PMCID: PMC9639385 DOI: 10.3389/fbinf.2022.932319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 09/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophages are gaining increasing interest as antimicrobial tools, largely due to the emergence of multi-antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Although their huge diversity and virulence make them particularly attractive for targeting a wide range of bacterial pathogens, it is difficult to select suitable phages due to their high specificity which limits their host range. In addition, other challenges remain such as structural fragility under certain environmental conditions, immunogenicity of phage therapy, or development of bacterial resistance. The use of genetically engineered phages may reduce characteristics that hinder prophylactic and therapeutic applications of phages. Nowadays, there is no systematic method to modify a given phage genome conferring its sought characteristics. We explore the use of artificial intelligence for this purpose as it has the potential to both guide and accelerate genome modification to generate phage variants with unique properties that overcome the limitations of natural phages. We propose an original architecture composed of two deep learning-driven components: a phage-bacterium interaction predictor and a phage genome-sequence generator. The former is a multi-branch 1-D convolutional neural network (1D-CNN) that analyses phage and bacterial genomes to predict interactions. The latter is a recurrent neural network, more particularly a long short-term memory (LSTM), that performs genomic modifications to a phage to offer substantial host range improvement. For this component, we developed two different architectures composed of one or two stacked LSTM layers with 256 neurons each. These generators are used to modify, more precisely to rewrite, the genome sequence of 42 selected phages, while the predictor is used to estimate the host range of the modified bacteriophages across 46 strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The proposed generators, trained with an average accuracy of 96.1%, are able to improve the host range for an average of 18 phages among the 42 under study, increasing both their average host range, by 73.0 and 103.7%, and the maximum host ranges from 21 to 24 and 29, respectively. These promising results showed that the use of deep learning methodologies allows genetic modification of phages to extend, for instance, their host range, confirming the potential of these approaches to guide bacteriophage engineering.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shabnam Ataee
- Institute of Information and Communication Technology (IICT), School of Management and Engineering Vaud (HEIG-VD), Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland
- HES-SO University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland, Delémont, Switzerland
- CI4CB—Computational Intelligence for Computational Biology, SIB—Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Xavier Brochet
- Institute of Information and Communication Technology (IICT), School of Management and Engineering Vaud (HEIG-VD), Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland
- HES-SO University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland, Delémont, Switzerland
- CI4CB—Computational Intelligence for Computational Biology, SIB—Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Carlos Andrés Peña-Reyes
- Institute of Information and Communication Technology (IICT), School of Management and Engineering Vaud (HEIG-VD), Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland
- HES-SO University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland, Delémont, Switzerland
- CI4CB—Computational Intelligence for Computational Biology, SIB—Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Gabashvili E, Kobakhidze S, Chkhikvishvili T, Tabatadze L, Tsiklauri R, Dadiani K, Kotetishvili M. Bacteriophage-Mediated Risk Pathways Underlying the Emergence of Antimicrobial Resistance via Intrageneric and Intergeneric Recombination of Antibiotic Efflux Genes Across Natural populations of Human Pathogenic Bacteria. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2022; 84:213-226. [PMID: 34467445 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-021-01846-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance continues to be a significant and growing threat to global public health, being driven by the emerging drug-resistant and multidrug-resistant strains of human and animal bacterial pathogens. While bacteriophages are generally known to be one of the vehicles of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), it remains largely unclear how these organisms contribute to the dissemination of the genetic loci encoding for antibiotic efflux pumps, especially those that confer multidrug resistance, in bacteria. In this study, the in-silico recombination analyses provided strong statistical evidence for bacteriophage-mediated intra-species recombination of ARGs, encoding mainly for the antibiotic efflux proteins from the MF superfamily, as well as from the ABC and RND families, in Salmonella enterica, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus suis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Burkholderia pseudomallei. Events of bacteriophage-driven intrageneric recombination of some of these genes could be also elucidated among Bacillus thuringiensis, Bacillus cereus and Bacillus tropicus natural populations. Moreover, we could also reveal the patterns of intergeneric recombination, involving the MF superfamily transporter-encoding genetic loci, induced by a Mycobacterium smegmatis phage, in natural populations of Streptomyces harbinensis and Streptomyces chartreusis. The SplitsTree- (fit: 100; bootstrap values: 92.7-100; Phi p ≤ 0.2414), RDP4- (p ≤ 0.0361), and GARD-generated data strongly supported the above genetic recombination inferences in these in-silico analyses. Thus, based on this pilot study, it can be suggested that the above mode of bacteriophage-mediated recombination plays at least some role in the emergence and transmission of multidrug resistance across a fairly broad spectrum of bacterial species and genera including human pathogens.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ekaterine Gabashvili
- School of Natural Sciences and Medicine, Ilia State University, 1 Giorgi Tsereteli exit, 0162, Tbilisi, Georgia
- Bioinformatics Core, Scientific-Research Center of Agriculture, 6 Marshal Gelovani ave, 0159, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Saba Kobakhidze
- Division of Risk Assessment, Scientific-Research Center of Agriculture, 6 Marshal Gelovani ave, 0159, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Tamar Chkhikvishvili
- Bioinformatics Core, Scientific-Research Center of Agriculture, 6 Marshal Gelovani ave, 0159, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Leila Tabatadze
- Bioinformatics Core, Scientific-Research Center of Agriculture, 6 Marshal Gelovani ave, 0159, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Rusudan Tsiklauri
- Faculty of Medicine, Iv. Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, 1 Ilia Chavchavadze Ave, 0179, Tbilisi, Georgia
- Quality Investment in Livestock (SQIL), Land O'Lakes Venture37 Inc. - Safety &, 0179, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Ketevan Dadiani
- Division of Risk Assessment, Scientific-Research Center of Agriculture, 6 Marshal Gelovani ave, 0159, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Mamuka Kotetishvili
- Division of Risk Assessment, Scientific-Research Center of Agriculture, 6 Marshal Gelovani ave, 0159, Tbilisi, Georgia.
- Hygiene and Medical Ecology, G. Natadze Scientific-Research Institute of Sanitation, 78 D. Uznadze St, 0102, Tbilisi, Georgia.
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Andrade-Martínez JS, Camelo Valera LC, Chica Cárdenas LA, Forero-Junco L, López-Leal G, Moreno-Gallego JL, Rangel-Pineros G, Reyes A. Computational Tools for the Analysis of Uncultivated Phage Genomes. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2022; 86:e0000421. [PMID: 35311574 PMCID: PMC9199400 DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.00004-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Over a century of bacteriophage research has uncovered a plethora of fundamental aspects of their biology, ecology, and evolution. Furthermore, the introduction of community-level studies through metagenomics has revealed unprecedented insights on the impact that phages have on a range of ecological and physiological processes. It was not until the introduction of viral metagenomics that we began to grasp the astonishing breadth of genetic diversity encompassed by phage genomes. Novel phage genomes have been reported from a diverse range of biomes at an increasing rate, which has prompted the development of computational tools that support the multilevel characterization of these novel phages based solely on their genome sequences. The impact of these technologies has been so large that, together with MAGs (Metagenomic Assembled Genomes), we now have UViGs (Uncultivated Viral Genomes), which are now officially recognized by the International Committee for the Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV), and new taxonomic groups can now be created based exclusively on genomic sequence information. Even though the available tools have immensely contributed to our knowledge of phage diversity and ecology, the ongoing surge in software programs makes it challenging to keep up with them and the purpose each one is designed for. Therefore, in this review, we describe a comprehensive set of currently available computational tools designed for the characterization of phage genome sequences, focusing on five specific analyses: (i) assembly and identification of phage and prophage sequences, (ii) phage genome annotation, (iii) phage taxonomic classification, (iv) phage-host interaction analysis, and (v) phage microdiversity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juan Sebastián Andrade-Martínez
- Max Planck Tandem Group in Computational Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Laura Carolina Camelo Valera
- Max Planck Tandem Group in Computational Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Luis Alberto Chica Cárdenas
- Max Planck Tandem Group in Computational Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Laura Forero-Junco
- Max Planck Tandem Group in Computational Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
- Department of Plant and Environmental Science, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Gamaliel López-Leal
- Max Planck Tandem Group in Computational Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - J. Leonardo Moreno-Gallego
- Max Planck Tandem Group in Computational Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
- Department of Microbiome Science, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Guillermo Rangel-Pineros
- Max Planck Tandem Group in Computational Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
- The GLOBE Institute, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Alejandro Reyes
- Max Planck Tandem Group in Computational Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
- The Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Salih H, Karaynir A, Yalcin M, Oryasin E, Holyavkin C, Basbulbul G, Bozdogan B. Metagenomic analysis of wastewater phageome from a University Hospital in Turkey. Arch Microbiol 2022; 204:353. [DOI: 10.1007/s00203-022-02962-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
|
49
|
Kaelin EA, Rodriguez C, Hall-Moore C, Hoffmann JA, Linneman LA, Ndao IM, Warner BB, Tarr PI, Holtz LR, Lim ES. Longitudinal gut virome analysis identifies specific viral signatures that precede necrotizing enterocolitis onset in preterm infants. Nat Microbiol 2022; 7:653-662. [PMID: 35449461 PMCID: PMC9064801 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-022-01096-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a serious consequence of preterm birth and is often associated with gut bacterial microbiome alterations. However, little is known about the development of the gut virome in preterm infants, or its role in NEC. Here, using metagenomic sequencing, we characterized the DNA gut virome of 9 preterm infants who developed NEC and 14 gestational age-matched preterm infants who did not. Infants were sampled longitudinally before NEC onset over the first 11 weeks of life. We observed substantial interindividual variation in the gut virome between unrelated preterm infants, while intraindividual variation over time was significantly less. We identified viral and bacterial signatures in the gut that preceded NEC onset. Specifically, we observed a convergence towards reduced viral beta diversity over the 10 d before NEC onset, which was driven by specific viral signatures and accompanied by specific viral-bacterial interactions. Our results indicate that bacterial and viral perturbations precede the sudden onset of NEC. These findings suggest that early life virome signatures in preterm infants may be implicated in NEC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emily A Kaelin
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.,Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Cynthia Rodriguez
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Carla Hall-Moore
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Julie A Hoffmann
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Laura A Linneman
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - I Malick Ndao
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Barbara B Warner
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Phillip I Tarr
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA.,Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Lori R Holtz
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA.
| | - Efrem S Lim
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA. .,Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Abstract
Increasing antimicrobial resistance and medical device-related infections have led to a renewed interest in phage therapy as an alternative or adjunct to conventional antimicrobials. Expanded access and compassionate use cases have risen exponentially but have varied widely in approach, methodology, and clinical situations in which phage therapy might be considered. Large gaps in knowledge contribute to heterogeneity in approach and lack of consensus in many important clinical areas. The Antibacterial Resistance Leadership Group (ARLG) has convened a panel of experts in phage therapy, clinical microbiology, infectious diseases, and pharmacology, who worked with regulatory experts and a funding agency to identify questions based on a clinical framework and divided them into three themes: potential clinical situations in which phage therapy might be considered, laboratory testing, and pharmacokinetic considerations. Suggestions are provided as answers to a series of questions intended to inform clinicians considering experimental phage therapy for patients in their clinical practices.
Collapse
|