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Winans JB, Garcia SL, Zeng L, Nadell CD. Spatial propagation of temperate phages within and among biofilms. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.12.20.571119. [PMID: 38187755 PMCID: PMC10769212 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.20.571119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Bacteria form groups comprised of cells and a secreted polymeric matrix that controls their spatial organization. These groups - termed biofilms - can act as refuges from environmental disturbances and from biotic threats, including phages. Despite the ubiquity of temperate phages and bacterial biofilms, live propagation of temperate phages within biofilms has never been characterized on cellular spatial scales. Here, we leverage several approaches to track temperate phages and distinguish between lytic and lysogenic host infections. We determine that lysogeny within E. coli biofilms initially occurs within a predictable region of cell group packing architecture on the biofilm periphery. Because lysogens are generally found on the periphery of large cell groups, where lytic viral infections also reduce local biofilm cell packing density, lysogens are predisposed to disperse into the passing liquid and are over-represented in biofilms formed from the dispersal pool of the original biofilm-phage system. Comparing our results with those for virulent phages reveals that temperate phages have previously unknown advantages in propagating over long spatial and time scales within and among bacterial biofilms.
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Babar TK, Glare TR, Hampton JG, Hurst MRH, Narciso J. Biochemical characterisation and production kinetics of high molecular-weight (HMW) putative antibacterial proteins of insect pathogenic Brevibacillus laterosporus isolates. BMC Microbiol 2024; 24:259. [PMID: 38997685 PMCID: PMC11245835 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-024-03340-2] [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: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 07/14/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bacterial genomes often encode structures similar to phage capsids (encapsulins) and phage tails which can be induced spontaneously or using genotoxic compounds such as mitomycin C. These high molecular-weight (HMW) putative antibacterial proteins (ABPs) are used against the competitive strains under natural environment. Previously, it was unknown whether these HMW putative ABPs originating from the insect pathogenic Gram-positive, spore-forming bacterium Brevibacillus laterosporus (Bl) isolates (1821L, 1951) are spontaneously induced during the growth and pose a detrimental effect on their own survival. Furthermore, no prior work has been undertaken to determine their biochemical characteristics. RESULTS Using a soft agar overlay method with polyethylene glycol precipitation, a narrow spectrum of bioactivity was found from the precipitated lysate of Bl 1951. Electron micrographs of mitomycin C- induced filtrates showed structures similar to phage capsids and contractile tails. Bioactivity assays of cell free supernatants (CFS) extracted during the growth of Bl 1821L and Bl 1951 suggested spontaneous induction of these HMW putative ABPs with an autocidal activity. Sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of spontaneously induced putative ABPs showed appearance of ~ 30 kDa and ~ 48 kDa bands of varying intensity across all the time intervals during the bacterial growth except in the initial hours. Statistically, spontaneously induced HMW putative ABPs of Bl 1951 exhibited a significant decrease in the number of viable cells of its producer strain after 18 h of growth in liquid. In addition, a significant change in pH and prominent bioactivity of the CFS of this particular time period was noted. Biochemically, the filtered supernatant derived from either Bl 1821L or Bl 1951 maintained bioactivity over a wide range of pH and temperature. CONCLUSION This study reports the spontaneous induction of HMW putative ABPs (bacteriocins) of Bl 1821L and Bl 1951 isolates during the course of growth with potential autocidal activity which is critically important during production as a potential biopesticide. A narrow spectrum of putative antibacterial activity of Bl 1951 precipitate was found. The stability of HMW putative ABPs of Bl 1821L and Bl 1951 over a wide range of pH and temperature can be useful in expanding the potential of this useful bacterium beyond the insecticidal value.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tauseef K Babar
- Bioprotection Research Centre, Lincoln University, Lincoln, Canterbury, 7647, New Zealand.
- Department of Entomology, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, 60000, Pakistan.
| | - Travis R Glare
- Bioprotection Research Centre, Lincoln University, Lincoln, Canterbury, 7647, New Zealand
- Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Lincoln University, Lincoln, Canterbury, 7647, New Zealand
| | - John G Hampton
- Bioprotection Research Centre, Lincoln University, Lincoln, Canterbury, 7647, New Zealand
- Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Lincoln University, Lincoln, Canterbury, 7647, New Zealand
| | - Mark R H Hurst
- Resilient agriculture, AgResearch, Lincoln Research Centre, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Josefina Narciso
- Bioprotection Research Centre, Lincoln University, Lincoln, Canterbury, 7647, New Zealand
- Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Lincoln University, Lincoln, Canterbury, 7647, New Zealand
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3
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Thomas MJN, Brockhurst MA, Coyte KZ. What makes a temperate phage an effective bacterial weapon? mSystems 2024; 9:e0103623. [PMID: 38727217 PMCID: PMC11237456 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.01036-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 06/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Temperate bacteriophages (phages) are common features of bacterial genomes and can act as self-amplifying biological weapons, killing susceptible competitors and thus increasing the fitness of their bacterial hosts (lysogens). Despite their prevalence, however, the key characteristics of an effective temperate phage weapon remain unclear. Here, we use systematic mathematical analyses coupled with experimental tests to understand what makes an effective temperate phage weapon. We find that effectiveness is controlled by phage life history traits-in particular, the probability of lysis and induction rate-but that the optimal combination of traits varies with the initial frequency of a lysogen within a population. As a consequence, certain phage weapons can be detrimental when their hosts are rare yet beneficial when their hosts are common, while subtle changes in individual life history traits can completely reverse the impact of an individual phage weapon on lysogen fitness. We confirm key predictions of our model experimentally, using temperate phages isolated from the clinically relevant Liverpool epidemic strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Through these experiments, we further demonstrate that nutrient availability can also play a critical role in driving frequency-dependent patterns in phage-mediated competition. Together, these findings highlight the complex and context-dependent nature of temperate phage weapons and the importance of both ecological and evolutionary processes in shaping microbial community dynamics more broadly. IMPORTANCE Temperate bacteriophages-viruses that integrate within bacterial DNA-are incredibly common within bacterial genomes and can act as powerful self-amplifying weapons. Bacterial hosts that carry temperate bacteriophages can thus gain a fitness advantage within a given niche by killing competitors. But what makes an effective phage weapon? Here, we first use a simple mathematical model to explore the factors determining bacteriophage weapon utility. Our models suggest that bacteriophage weapons are nuanced and context-dependent; an individual bacteriophage may be beneficial or costly depending upon tiny changes to how it behaves or the bacterial community it inhabits. We then confirm these mathematical predictions experimentally, using phages isolated from cystic fibrosis patients. But, in doing so, we also find that another factor-nutrient availability-plays a key role in shaping bacteriophage-mediated competition. Together, our results provide new insights into how temperate bacteriophages modulate bacterial communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- M J N Thomas
- Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - M A Brockhurst
- Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - K Z Coyte
- Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
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4
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Luo R, Guan A, Ma B, Gao Y, Peng Y, He Y, Xu Q, Li K, Zhong Y, Luo R, Cao R, Jin H, Lin Y, Shang P. Developmental Dynamics of the Gut Virome in Tibetan Pigs at High Altitude: A Metagenomic Perspective across Age Groups. Viruses 2024; 16:606. [PMID: 38675947 PMCID: PMC11054254 DOI: 10.3390/v16040606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2024] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Tibetan pig is a geographically isolated pig breed that inhabits high-altitude areas of the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau. At present, there is limited research on viral diseases in Tibetan pigs. This study provides a novel metagenomic exploration of the gut virome in Tibetan pigs (altitude ≈ 3000 m) across three critical developmental stages, including lactation, nursery, and fattening. The composition of viral communities in the Tibetan pig intestine, with a dominant presence of Microviridae phages observed across all stages of development, in combination with the previous literature, suggest that it may be associated with geographical locations with high altitude. Functional annotation of viral operational taxonomic units (vOTUs) highlights that, among the constantly increasing vOTUs groups, the adaptability of viruses to environmental stressors such as salt and heat indicates an evolutionary response to high-altitude conditions. It shows that the lactation group has more abundant viral auxiliary metabolic genes (vAMGs) than the nursery and fattening groups. During the nursery and fattening stages, this leaves only DNMT1 at a high level. which may be a contributing factor in promoting gut health. The study found that viruses preferentially adopt lytic lifestyles at all three developmental stages. These findings not only elucidate the dynamic interplay between the gut virome and host development, offering novel insights into the virome ecology of Tibetan pigs and their adaptation to high-altitude environments, but also provide a theoretical basis for further studies on pig production and epidemic prevention under extreme environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Runbo Luo
- College of Animal Science, Tibet Agricultural and Animal Husbandry University, Linzhi 860000, China; (R.L.); (K.L.); (Y.Z.)
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China;
| | - Aohan Guan
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430000, China; (A.G.); (B.M.); (Y.G.); (Y.P.); (Y.H.); (Q.X.); (R.L.); (H.J.)
- College of Animal Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430000, China
| | - Bin Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430000, China; (A.G.); (B.M.); (Y.G.); (Y.P.); (Y.H.); (Q.X.); (R.L.); (H.J.)
- College of Animal Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430000, China
| | - Yuan Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430000, China; (A.G.); (B.M.); (Y.G.); (Y.P.); (Y.H.); (Q.X.); (R.L.); (H.J.)
- College of Animal Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430000, China
| | - Yuna Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430000, China; (A.G.); (B.M.); (Y.G.); (Y.P.); (Y.H.); (Q.X.); (R.L.); (H.J.)
- College of Animal Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430000, China
| | - Yanling He
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430000, China; (A.G.); (B.M.); (Y.G.); (Y.P.); (Y.H.); (Q.X.); (R.L.); (H.J.)
- College of Animal Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430000, China
| | - Qianshuai Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430000, China; (A.G.); (B.M.); (Y.G.); (Y.P.); (Y.H.); (Q.X.); (R.L.); (H.J.)
- College of Animal Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430000, China
| | - Kexin Li
- College of Animal Science, Tibet Agricultural and Animal Husbandry University, Linzhi 860000, China; (R.L.); (K.L.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Yanan Zhong
- College of Animal Science, Tibet Agricultural and Animal Husbandry University, Linzhi 860000, China; (R.L.); (K.L.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Rui Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430000, China; (A.G.); (B.M.); (Y.G.); (Y.P.); (Y.H.); (Q.X.); (R.L.); (H.J.)
- College of Animal Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430000, China
| | - Ruibing Cao
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China;
| | - Hui Jin
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430000, China; (A.G.); (B.M.); (Y.G.); (Y.P.); (Y.H.); (Q.X.); (R.L.); (H.J.)
- College of Animal Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430000, China
| | - Yan Lin
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Peng Shang
- College of Animal Science, Tibet Agricultural and Animal Husbandry University, Linzhi 860000, China; (R.L.); (K.L.); (Y.Z.)
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Roughgarden J. Lytic/Lysogenic Transition as a Life-History Switch. Virus Evol 2024; 10:veae028. [PMID: 38756985 PMCID: PMC11097211 DOI: 10.1093/ve/veae028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
The transition between lytic and lysogenic life cycles is the most important feature of the life-history of temperate viruses. To explain this transition, an optimal life-history model is offered based a discrete-time formulation of phage/bacteria population dynamics that features infection of bacteria by Poisson sampling of virions from the environment. The time step is the viral latency period. In this model, density-dependent viral absorption onto the bacterial surface produces virus/bacteria coexistence and density dependence in bacterial growth is not needed. The formula for the transition between lytic and lysogenic phases is termed the 'fitness switch'. According to the model, the virus switches from lytic to lysogenic when its population grows faster as prophage than as virions produced by lysis of the infected cells, and conversely for the switch from lysogenic to lytic. A prophage that benefits the bacterium it infects automatically incurs lower fitness upon exiting the bacterial genome, resulting in its becoming locked into the bacterial genome in what is termed here as a 'prophage lock'. The fitness switch qualitatively predicts the ecogeographic rule that environmental enrichment leads to microbialization with a concomitant increase in lysogeny, fluctuating environmental conditions promote virus-mediated horizontal gene transfer, and prophage-containing bacteria can integrate into the microbiome of a eukaryotic host forming a functionally integrated tripartite holobiont. These predictions accord more with the 'Piggyback-the-Winner' hypothesis than with the 'Kill-the-Winner' hypothesis in virus ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joan Roughgarden
- Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawaii, Kaneohe, HI 96744, USA
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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6
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Li D, Liang W, Huang Z, Ma W, Liu Q. The spontaneously produced lysogenic prophage phi456 promotes bacterial resistance to adverse environments and enhances the colonization ability of avian pathogenic Escherichia coli strain DE456. Vet Res 2024; 55:37. [PMID: 38532498 DOI: 10.1186/s13567-024-01292-z] [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] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
In the last decade, prophages that possess the ability of lysogenic transformation have become increasingly significant. Their transfer and subsequent activity in the host have a significant impact on the evolution of bacteria. Here, we investigate the role of prophage phi456 with high spontaneous induction in the bacterial genome of Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) DE456. The phage particles, phi456, that were released from DE456 were isolated, purified, and sequenced. Additionally, phage particles were no longer observed either during normal growth or induced by nalidixic acid in DE456Δphi456. This indicated that the released phage particles from DE456 were only phi456. We demonstrated that phi456 contributed to biofilm formation through spontaneous induction of the accompanying increase in the eDNA content. The survival ability of DE456Δphi456 was decreased in avian macrophage HD11 under oxidative stress and acidic conditions. This is likely due to a decrease in the transcription levels of three crucial genes-rpoS, katE, and oxyR-which are needed to help the bacteria adapt to and survive in adverse environments. It has been observed through animal experiments that the presence of phi456 in the DE456 genome enhances colonization ability in vivo. Additionally, the number of type I fimbriae in DE456Δphi456 was observed to be reduced under transmission electron microscopy when compared to the wild-type strain. The qRT-PCR results indicated that the expression levels of the subunit of I fimbriae (fimA) and its apical adhesin (fimH) were significantly lower in DE456Δphi456. Therefore, it can be concluded that phi456 plays a crucial role in helping bacterial hosts survive in unfavorable conditions and enhancing the colonization ability in DE456.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dezhi Li
- School of Health Science and Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Bacteriology, Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Wei Liang
- The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Liuzhou, China
| | - Zhiqiang Huang
- School of Health Science and Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Wenwen Ma
- School of Health Science and Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Qing Liu
- School of Health Science and Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, China.
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7
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Kimchi O, Meir Y, Wingreen NS. Lytic and temperate phage naturally coexist in a dynamic population model. THE ISME JOURNAL 2024; 18:wrae093. [PMID: 38818736 PMCID: PMC11187991 DOI: 10.1093/ismejo/wrae093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2024] [Revised: 05/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
When phage infect their bacterial hosts, they may either lyse the cell and generate a burst of new phage, or lysogenize the bacterium, incorporating the phage genome into it. Phage lysis/lysogeny strategies are assumed to be highly optimized, with the optimal tradeoff depending on environmental conditions. However, in nature, phage of radically different lysis/lysogeny strategies coexist in the same environment, preying on the same bacteria. How can phage preying on the same bacteria coexist if one is more optimal than the other? Here, we address this conundrum within a modeling framework, simulating the population dynamics of communities of phage and their lysogens. We find that coexistence between phage of different lysis/lysogeny strategies is a natural outcome of chaotic population dynamics that arise within sufficiently diverse communities, which ensure no phage is able to absolutely dominate its competitors. Our results further suggest a bet-hedging mechanism at the level of the phage pan-genome, wherein obligate lytic (virulent) strains typically outcompete temperate strains, but also more readily fluctuate to extinction within a local community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ofer Kimchi
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Yigal Meir
- Department of Physics, Ben-Gurion University, Be’er Sheva 84105, Israel
- Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Ned S Wingreen
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
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8
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Muscatt G, Cook R, Millard A, Bending GD, Jameson E. Viral metagenomics reveals diverse virus-host interactions throughout the soil depth profile. mBio 2023; 14:e0224623. [PMID: 38032184 PMCID: PMC10746233 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02246-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Soil viruses can moderate the roles that their host microbes play in global carbon cycling. However, given that most studies investigate the surface layer (i.e., top 20 cm) of soil, the extent to which this occurs in subsurface soil (i.e., below 20 cm) is unknown. Here, we leveraged public sequencing data to investigate the interactions between viruses and their hosts at soil depth intervals, down to 115 cm. While most viruses were detected throughout the soil depth profile, their adaptation to host microbes varied. Nonetheless, we uncovered evidence for the potential of soil viruses to encourage their hosts to recycle plant-derived carbon in both surface and subsurface soils. This work reasons that our understanding of soil viral functions requires us to continue to dig deeper and compare viruses existing throughout soil ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- George Muscatt
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Ryan Cook
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Loughborough, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew Millard
- Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, Leicester Centre for Phage Research, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - Gary D. Bending
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Eleanor Jameson
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
- School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd, United Kingdom
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9
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Burian A, Gruber-Dorninger M, Schweichart J, Yasindi A, Bulling M, Jirsa F, Winter C, Muia AW, Schagerl M. Drivers of microbial food-web structure along productivity gradients. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20231531. [PMID: 37876193 PMCID: PMC10598424 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.1531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Ratios between viruses, heterotrophic prokaryotes and chlorophyll a are key indicators of microbial food structure and both virus-prokaryote and prokaryote-chlorophyll ratios have been proposed to decrease with system productivity. However, the mechanisms underlying these responses are still insufficiently resolved and their consistency across aquatic ecosystem types requires critical evaluation. We assessed microbial community ratios in highly productive African soda-lakes and used our data from naturally hypereutrophic systems which are largely underrepresented in literature, to complement earlier across-system meta-analyses. In contrast to marine and freshwater systems, prokaryote-chlorophyll ratios in African soda-lakes did not decrease along productivity gradients. High-resolution time series from two soda-lakes indicated that this lack of response could be driven by a weakened top-down control of heterotrophic prokaryotes. Our analysis of virus-prokaryote relationships, revealed a reduction of virus-prokaryote ratios by high suspended particle concentrations in soda-lakes. This effect, likely driven by the adsorption of free-living viruses, was also found in three out of four additionally analysed marine datasets. However, the decrease of virus-prokaryote ratios previously reported in highly productive marine systems, was neither detectable in soda-lakes nor freshwaters. Hence, our study demonstrates that system-specific analyses can reveal the diversity of mechanisms that structure microbial food-webs and shape their response to productivity increases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alfred Burian
- Department of Computational Landscape Ecology, UFZ– Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig, Germany
- Marine Ecology Department, Lurio University, Nampula, Mozambique
| | | | - Johannes Schweichart
- Biology Centre, University of South Bohemia in České, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Andrew Yasindi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Egerton University, Njoro, Kenya
| | - Mark Bulling
- Environmental Sustainability Research Centre, University of Derby, Derby, UK
| | - Franz Jirsa
- Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Zoology, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Christian Winter
- Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Michael Schagerl
- Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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10
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Jo SJ, Kwon J, Kim SG, Lee SJ. The Biotechnological Application of Bacteriophages: What to Do and Where to Go in the Middle of the Post-Antibiotic Era. Microorganisms 2023; 11:2311. [PMID: 37764155 PMCID: PMC10534921 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11092311] [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: 08/11/2023] [Revised: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Amid the escalating challenges of antibiotic resistance, bacterial infections have emerged as a global threat. Bacteriophages (phages), viral entities capable of selectively infecting bacteria, are gaining momentum as promising alternatives to traditional antibiotics. Their distinctive attributes, including host specificity, inherent self-amplification, and potential synergy with antibiotics, render them compelling candidates. Phage engineering, a burgeoning discipline, involves the strategic modification of bacteriophages to enhance their therapeutic potential and broaden their applications. The integration of CRISPR-Cas systems facilitates precise genetic modifications, enabling phages to serve as carriers of functional genes/proteins, thereby enhancing diagnostics, drug delivery, and therapy. Phage engineering holds promise in transforming precision medicine, addressing antibiotic resistance, and advancing diverse applications. Emphasizing the profound therapeutic potential of phages, this review underscores their pivotal role in combatting bacterial diseases and highlights their significance in the post-antibiotic era.
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Affiliation(s)
- Su Jin Jo
- College of Veterinary Medicine and Research Institute for Veterinary Science, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Jun Kwon
- Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Jeonbuk National University, 79 Gobong-ro, Iksan City 54596, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang Guen Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kyonggi University, Suwon 16227, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung-Jun Lee
- Department of Pharmaceutical Science and Engineering, Seowon University, 377-3 Musimseoro, Seowon-gu, Cheong-ju City 28674, Republic of Korea
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11
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Serian D, Churin Y, Hammerl JA, Rohde M, Jung A, Müller A, Yue M, Kehrenberg C. Characterization of Temperate LPS-Binding Bordetella avium Phages That Lack Superinfection Immunity. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0370222. [PMID: 37125905 PMCID: PMC10269795 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.03702-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Bordetella avium causes a highly infectious upper respiratory tract disease in turkeys and other poultry with high economic losses. Considering the antimicrobial resistance crisis, bacteriophages (phages) may be an alternative approach for treating bacterial infections such as bordetellosis. Here, we describe seven B. avium phages, isolated from drinking water and feces from chicken and turkey farms. They showed strong bacteriolytic activity with a broad host range and used lipopolysaccharides (LPS) as a host receptor for their adsorption. All phages are myoviruses based on their structure observed by transmission electron microscopy. Genome sequence analyses revealed genome assembly sizes ranging from 39,087 to 43,144 bp. Their permutated genomes were organized colinearly, with a conserved module order, and were packed according to a predicted headful packing strategy. Notably, they contained genes encoding putative markers of lysogeny, indicative of temperate phages, despite their lytic phenotype. Further investigation revealed that the phages could indeed undergo a lysogenic life cycle with varying frequency. However, the lysogenic bacteria were still susceptible to superinfection with the same phages. This lack of stable superinfection immunity after lysogenization appears to be a characteristic feature of B. avium phages, which is favorable in terms of a potential therapeutic use of phages for the treatment of avian bordetellosis. IMPORTANCE To maintain the effectiveness of antibiotics over the long term, alternatives to treat infectious diseases are urgently needed. Therefore, phages have recently come back into focus as they can specifically infect and lyse bacteria and are naturally occurring. However, there is little information on phages that can infect pathogenic bacteria from animals, such as the causative agent of bordetellosis of poultry, B. avium. Therefore, in this study, B. avium phages were isolated and comprehensively characterized, including whole-genome analysis. Although phenotypically the phages were thought to undergo a lytic cycle, we demonstrated that they undergo a lysogenic phase, but that infection does not confer stable host superinfection immunity. These findings provide important information that could be relevant for potential biocontrol of avian bordetellosis by using phage therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorothee Serian
- Institute for Veterinary Food Science, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Yury Churin
- Institute for Veterinary Food Science, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Jens André Hammerl
- Department Biological Safety, German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Berlin, Germany
| | - Manfred Rohde
- Central Facility for Microscopy, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research GmbH, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Arne Jung
- Clinic for Poultry, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover Foundation, Hannover, Germany
| | - Anja Müller
- Institute for Veterinary Food Science, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Min Yue
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Science and Department of Veterinary Medicine, Zhejiang University College of Animal Sciences, Hangzhou, China
- Hainan Institute of Zhejiang University, Sanya, China
| | - Corinna Kehrenberg
- Institute for Veterinary Food Science, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
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12
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Hussain NAS, Stafford JL. Abiotic and biotic constituents of oil sands process-affected waters. J Environ Sci (China) 2023; 127:169-186. [PMID: 36522051 DOI: 10.1016/j.jes.2022.06.012] [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: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The oil sands in Northern Alberta are the largest oil sands in the world, providing an important economic resource for the Canadian energy industry. The extraction of petroleum in the oil sands begins with the addition of hot water to the bituminous sediment, generating oil sands process-affected water (OSPW), which is acutely toxic to organisms. Trillions of litres of OSPW are stored on oil sands mining leased sites in man-made reservoirs called tailings ponds. As the volume of OSPW increases, concerns arise regarding the reclamation and eventual release of this water back into the environment. OSPW is composed of a complex and heterogeneous mix of components that vary based on factors such as company extraction techniques, age of the water, location, and bitumen ore quality. Therefore, the effective remediation of OSPW requires the consideration of abiotic and biotic constituents within it to understand short and long term effects of treatments used. This review summarizes selected chemicals and organisms in these waters and their interactions to provide a holistic perspective on the physiochemical and microbial dynamics underpinning OSPW .
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Affiliation(s)
- Nora A S Hussain
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2N8, Canada
| | - James L Stafford
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2N8, Canada.
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13
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Abstract
Soil viruses are highly abundant and have important roles in the regulation of host dynamics and soil ecology. Climate change is resulting in unprecedented changes to soil ecosystems and the life forms that reside there, including viruses. In this Review, we explore our current understanding of soil viral diversity and ecology, and we discuss how climate change (such as extended and extreme drought events or more flooding and altered precipitation patterns) is influencing soil viruses. Finally, we provide our perspective on future research needs to better understand how climate change will impact soil viral ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janet K Jansson
- Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA.
| | - Ruonan Wu
- Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA
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14
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Venturini C, Petrovic Fabijan A, Fajardo Lubian A, Barbirz S, Iredell J. Biological foundations of successful bacteriophage therapy. EMBO Mol Med 2022; 14:e12435. [PMID: 35620963 PMCID: PMC9260219 DOI: 10.15252/emmm.202012435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophages (phages) are selective viral predators of bacteria. Abundant and ubiquitous in nature, phages can be used to treat bacterial infections (phage therapy), including refractory infections and those resistant to antibiotics. However, despite an abundance of anecdotal evidence of efficacy, significant hurdles remain before routine implementation of phage therapy into medical practice, including a dearth of robust clinical trial data. Phage-bacterium interactions are complex and diverse, characterized by co-evolution trajectories that are significantly influenced by the environments in which they occur (mammalian body sites, water, soil, etc.). An understanding of the molecular mechanisms underpinning these dynamics is essential for successful clinical translation. This review aims to cover key aspects of bacterium-phage interactions that affect bacterial killing by describing the most relevant published literature and detailing the current knowledge gaps most likely to influence therapeutic success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carola Venturini
- Centre for Infectious Diseases and MicrobiologyWestmead Institute for Medical ResearchWestmeadNSWAustralia
- Faculty of ScienceSydney School of Veterinary ScienceThe University of SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
| | - Aleksandra Petrovic Fabijan
- Centre for Infectious Diseases and MicrobiologyWestmead Institute for Medical ResearchWestmeadNSWAustralia
- Faculty of Health and MedicineSchool of MedicineSydney Medical SchoolThe University of SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
| | - Alicia Fajardo Lubian
- Centre for Infectious Diseases and MicrobiologyWestmead Institute for Medical ResearchWestmeadNSWAustralia
- Faculty of Health and MedicineSchool of MedicineSydney Medical SchoolThe University of SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
| | - Stefanie Barbirz
- Department of MedicineScience FacultyMSB Medical School BerlinBerlinGermany
| | - Jonathan Iredell
- Centre for Infectious Diseases and MicrobiologyWestmead Institute for Medical ResearchWestmeadNSWAustralia
- Faculty of Health and MedicineSchool of MedicineSydney Medical SchoolThe University of SydneySydneyNSWAustralia
- Westmead HospitalWestern Sydney Local Health DistrictWestmeadNSWAustralia
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15
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Shivam S, Li G, Lucia-Sanz A, Weitz JS. Timescales modulate optimal lysis-lysogeny decision switches and near-term phage reproduction. Virus Evol 2022; 8:veac037. [PMID: 35615104 PMCID: PMC9126285 DOI: 10.1093/ve/veac037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Revised: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Temperate phage can initiate lysis or lysogeny after infecting a bacterial host. The genetic switch between lysis and lysogeny is mediated by phage regulatory genes as well as host and environmental factors. Recently, a new class of decision switches was identified in phage of the SPbeta group, mediated by the extracellular release of small, phage-encoded peptides termed arbitrium. Arbitrium peptides can be taken up by bacteria prior to infection, modulating the decision switch in the event of a subsequent phage infection. Increasing the concentration of arbitrium increases the chance that a phage infection will lead to lysogeny, rather than lysis. Although prior work has centered on the molecular mechanisms of arbitrium-induced switching, here we focus on how selective pressures impact the benefits of plasticity in switching responses. In this work, we examine the possible advantages of near-term adaptation of communication-based decision switches used by the SPbeta-like group. We combine a nonlinear population model with a control-theoretic approach to evaluate the relationship between a putative phage reaction norm (i.e. the probability of lysogeny as a function of arbitrium) and the extent of phage reproduction at a near-term time horizon. We measure phage reproduction in terms of a cellular-level metric previously shown to enable comparisons of near-term phage fitness across a continuum from lysis to latency. We show the adaptive potential of communication-based lysis-lysogeny responses and find that optimal switching between lysis and lysogeny increases the near-term phage reproduction compared to fixed responses, further supporting both molecular- and model-based analyses of the putative benefits of this class of decision switches. We further find that plastic responses are robust to the inclusion of cellular-level stochasticity, variation in life history traits, and variation in resource availability. These findings provide further support to explore the long-term evolution of plastic decision systems mediated by extracellular decision-signaling molecules and the feedback between phage reaction norms and ecological context.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Guanlin Li
- School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Quantitative Biosciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Adriana Lucia-Sanz
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Joshua S Weitz
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
- School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Institut d’Biologie, École Normale Supérieure, Paris, France
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
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16
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Chaïb A, Claisse O, Delbarre E, Bosviel J, Le Marrec C. Assessment of the lysogenic status in the lactic acid bacterium O. oeni during the spontaneous malolactic fermentation of red wines. Food Microbiol 2022; 103:103947. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fm.2021.103947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Revised: 09/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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17
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Brown S, Mitarai N, Sneppen K. Protection of bacteriophage-sensitive Escherichia coli by lysogens. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2106005119. [PMID: 35344423 PMCID: PMC9168506 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2106005119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
SignificanceSome viruses that infect bacteria, temperate bacteriophages, can confer immunity to infection by the same virus. Here we report λ-immune bacteria could protect λ-sensitive bacteria from killing by phage λ in mixed culture. The protection depended on the extent to which the immune bacteria were able to adsorb the phage. Reconciling modeling with experiment led to identifying a decline in protection as bacteria stopped growing. Adsorption of λ was compromised by inhibition of bacterial energy metabolism, explaining the loss of protection as bacterial growth ceased.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stanley Brown
- Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Namiko Mitarai
- Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kim Sneppen
- Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
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18
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Cheong KH, Wen T, Benler S, Koh JM, Koonin EV. Alternating lysis and lysogeny is a winning strategy in bacteriophages due to Parrondo's paradox. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2115145119. [PMID: 35316140 PMCID: PMC9060511 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2115145119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 01/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
SignificanceBacteriophages, the most widespread reproducing biological entity on Earth, employ two strategies of virus-host interaction: lysis of the host cell and lysogeny whereby the virus genome integrates into the host genome and propagates vertically with it. We present a population model that reveals an effect known as Parrondo's paradox in game theory: Alternating between lysis and lysogeny is a winning strategy for a bacteriophage, even when each strategy individually is at a disadvantage compared with a competing bacteriophage. Thus, evolution of bacteriophages appears to optimize the ratio between the lysis and lysogeny propensities rather than the phage burst size in any individual phase. This phenomenon is likely to be relevant for understanding evolution of other host-parasites systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kang Hao Cheong
- Science, Mathematics and Technology Cluster, Singapore University of Technology and Design, S487372 Singapore
| | - Tao Wen
- Science, Mathematics and Technology Cluster, Singapore University of Technology and Design, S487372 Singapore
| | - Sean Benler
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20894
| | - Jin Ming Koh
- Science, Mathematics and Technology Cluster, Singapore University of Technology and Design, S487372 Singapore
- Division of Physics, Mathematics and Astronomy, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125
| | - Eugene V. Koonin
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20894
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19
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Happel AU, Balle C, Maust BS, Konstantinus IN, Gill K, Bekker LG, Froissart R, Passmore JA, Karaoz U, Varsani A, Jaspan H. Presence and Persistence of Putative Lytic and Temperate Bacteriophages in Vaginal Metagenomes from South African Adolescents. Viruses 2021; 13:2341. [PMID: 34960611 PMCID: PMC8708031 DOI: 10.3390/v13122341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The interaction between gut bacterial and viral microbiota is thought to be important in human health. While fluctuations in female genital tract (FGT) bacterial microbiota similarly determine sexual health, little is known about the presence, persistence, and function of vaginal bacteriophages. We conducted shotgun metagenome sequencing of cervicovaginal samples from South African adolescents collected longitudinally, who received no antibiotics. We annotated viral reads and circular bacteriophages, identified CRISPR loci and putative prophages, and assessed their diversity, persistence, and associations with bacterial microbiota composition. Siphoviridae was the most prevalent bacteriophage family, followed by Myoviridae, Podoviridae, Herelleviridae, and Inoviridae. Full-length siphoviruses targeting bacterial vaginosis (BV)-associated bacteria were identified, suggesting their presence in vivo. CRISPR loci and prophage-like elements were common, and genomic analysis suggested higher diversity among Gardnerella than Lactobacillus prophages. We found that some prophages were highly persistent within participants, and identical prophages were present in cervicovaginal secretions of multiple participants, suggesting that prophages, and thus bacterial strains, are shared between adolescents. The number of CRISPR loci and prophages were associated with vaginal microbiota stability and absence of BV. Our analysis suggests that (pro)phages are common in the FGT and vaginal bacteria and (pro)phages may interact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna-Ursula Happel
- Department of Pathology, Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Anzio Road, Cape Town 7925, South Africa; (A.-U.H.); (C.B.); (I.N.K.); (J.-A.P.)
| | - Christina Balle
- Department of Pathology, Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Anzio Road, Cape Town 7925, South Africa; (A.-U.H.); (C.B.); (I.N.K.); (J.-A.P.)
| | - Brandon S. Maust
- Seattle Children’s Research Institute, 307 Westlake Ave. N, Seattle, WA 98109, USA;
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, 1959 NE Pacific St., Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Iyaloo N. Konstantinus
- Department of Pathology, Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Anzio Road, Cape Town 7925, South Africa; (A.-U.H.); (C.B.); (I.N.K.); (J.-A.P.)
- Namibia Institute of Pathology, Hosea Kutako, Windhoek 10005, Namibia
| | - Katherine Gill
- Desmond Tutu HIV Centre, University of Cape Town, Anzio Road, Cape Town 7925, South Africa; (K.G.); (L.-G.B.)
- NRF-DST CAPRISA Centre of Excellence in HIV Prevention, 719 Umbilo Road, Congella, Durban 4013, South Africa
| | - Linda-Gail Bekker
- Desmond Tutu HIV Centre, University of Cape Town, Anzio Road, Cape Town 7925, South Africa; (K.G.); (L.-G.B.)
- NRF-DST CAPRISA Centre of Excellence in HIV Prevention, 719 Umbilo Road, Congella, Durban 4013, South Africa
| | - Rémy Froissart
- CNRS, IRD, Université Montpellier, UMR 5290, MIVEGEC, 34394 Montpellier, France;
| | - Jo-Ann Passmore
- Department of Pathology, Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Anzio Road, Cape Town 7925, South Africa; (A.-U.H.); (C.B.); (I.N.K.); (J.-A.P.)
- Desmond Tutu HIV Centre, University of Cape Town, Anzio Road, Cape Town 7925, South Africa; (K.G.); (L.-G.B.)
- NRF-DST CAPRISA Centre of Excellence in HIV Prevention, 719 Umbilo Road, Congella, Durban 4013, South Africa
- National Health Laboratory Service, Anzio Road, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
| | - Ulas Karaoz
- Earth and Environmental Science, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories, 1 Cyclotron Rd., Berkeley, CA 94720, USA;
| | - Arvind Varsani
- The Biodesign Center of Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, Center for Evolution and Medicine, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, 1001 S. McAllister Ave., Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
- Structural Biology Research Unit, Department of Integrative Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Anzio Road, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
| | - Heather Jaspan
- Department of Pathology, Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Anzio Road, Cape Town 7925, South Africa; (A.-U.H.); (C.B.); (I.N.K.); (J.-A.P.)
- Seattle Children’s Research Institute, 307 Westlake Ave. N, Seattle, WA 98109, USA;
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, 1959 NE Pacific St., Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington School of Public Health, 1510 San Juan Road NE, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
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20
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Bruce JB, Lion S, Buckling A, Westra ER, Gandon S. Regulation of prophage induction and lysogenization by phage communication systems. Curr Biol 2021; 31:5046-5051.e7. [PMID: 34562385 PMCID: PMC8612742 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.08.073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Revised: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Many viruses cause both lytic infections, where they release viral particles, and dormant infections, where they await future opportunities to reactivate.1 The benefits of each transmission mode depend on the density of susceptible hosts in the environment.2-4 Some viruses infecting bacteria use molecular signaling to respond plastically to changes in host availability.5 These viruses produce a signal during lytic infection and regulate, based on the signal concentration in the environment, the probability with which they switch to causing dormant infections.5,6 We present an analytical framework to examine the adaptive significance of plasticity in viral life-history traits in fluctuating environments. Our model generalizes and extends previous theory7 and predicts that host density fluctuations should select for plasticity in entering lysogeny as well as virus reactivation once signal concentrations decline. Using Bacillus subtilis and its phage phi3T, we experimentally confirm the prediction that phages use signal to make informed decisions over prophage induction. We also demonstrate that lysogens produce signaling molecules and that signal is degraded by hosts in a density-dependent manner. Declining signal concentrations therefore potentially indicate the presence of uninfected hosts and trigger prophage induction. Finally, we find that conflict over the responses of lysogenization and reactivation to signal is resolved through the evolution of different response thresholds for each trait. Collectively, these findings deepen our understanding of the ways viruses use molecular communication to regulate their infection strategies, which can be leveraged to manipulate host and phage population dynamics in natural environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- John B Bruce
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Exeter, UK.
| | - Sébastien Lion
- CEFE, CNRS, Univ Montpellier, EPHE, IRD, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, Montpellier, France
| | - Angus Buckling
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Exeter, UK
| | - Edze R Westra
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Exeter, UK.
| | - Sylvain Gandon
- CEFE, CNRS, Univ Montpellier, EPHE, IRD, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, Montpellier, France.
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21
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Trubl G, Kimbrel JA, Liquet-Gonzalez J, Nuccio EE, Weber PK, Pett-Ridge J, Jansson JK, Waldrop MP, Blazewicz SJ. Active virus-host interactions at sub-freezing temperatures in Arctic peat soil. MICROBIOME 2021; 9:208. [PMID: 34663463 PMCID: PMC8522061 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-021-01154-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Winter carbon loss in northern ecosystems is estimated to be greater than the average growing season carbon uptake and is primarily driven by microbial decomposers. Viruses modulate microbial carbon cycling via induced mortality and metabolic controls, but it is unknown whether viruses are active under winter conditions (anoxic and sub-freezing temperatures). RESULTS We used stable isotope probing (SIP) targeted metagenomics to reveal the genomic potential of active soil microbial populations under simulated winter conditions, with an emphasis on viruses and virus-host dynamics. Arctic peat soils from the Bonanza Creek Long-Term Ecological Research site in Alaska were incubated under sub-freezing anoxic conditions with H218O or natural abundance water for 184 and 370 days. We sequenced 23 SIP-metagenomes and measured carbon dioxide (CO2) efflux throughout the experiment. We identified 46 bacterial populations (spanning 9 phyla) and 243 viral populations that actively took up 18O in soil and respired CO2 throughout the incubation. Active bacterial populations represented only a small portion of the detected microbial community and were capable of fermentation and organic matter degradation. In contrast, active viral populations represented a large portion of the detected viral community and one third were linked to active bacterial populations. We identified 86 auxiliary metabolic genes and other environmentally relevant genes. The majority of these genes were carried by active viral populations and had diverse functions such as carbon utilization and scavenging that could provide their host with a fitness advantage for utilizing much-needed carbon sources or acquiring essential nutrients. CONCLUSIONS Overall, there was a stark difference in the identity and function of the active bacterial and viral community compared to the unlabeled community that would have been overlooked with a non-targeted standard metagenomic analysis. Our results illustrate that substantial active virus-host interactions occur in sub-freezing anoxic conditions and highlight viruses as a major community-structuring agent that likely modulates carbon loss in peat soils during winter, which may be pivotal for understanding the future fate of arctic soils' vast carbon stocks. Video abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gareth Trubl
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, USA.
| | - Jeffrey A Kimbrel
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, USA
| | - Jose Liquet-Gonzalez
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, USA
| | - Erin E Nuccio
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, USA
| | - Peter K Weber
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, USA
| | - Jennifer Pett-Ridge
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, USA
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of California, Merced, CA, 95343, USA
| | - Janet K Jansson
- Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA
| | - Mark P Waldrop
- U.S. Geological Survey, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, Menlo Park, CA, USA
| | - Steven J Blazewicz
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, USA.
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22
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Correa AMS, Howard-Varona C, Coy SR, Buchan A, Sullivan MB, Weitz JS. Revisiting the rules of life for viruses of microorganisms. Nat Rev Microbiol 2021; 19:501-513. [PMID: 33762712 DOI: 10.1038/s41579-021-00530-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Viruses that infect microbial hosts have traditionally been studied in laboratory settings with a focus on either obligate lysis or persistent lysogeny. In the environment, these infection archetypes are part of a continuum that spans antagonistic to beneficial modes. In this Review, we advance a framework to accommodate the context-dependent nature of virus-microorganism interactions in ecological communities by synthesizing knowledge from decades of virology research, eco-evolutionary theory and recent technological advances. We discuss that nuanced outcomes, rather than the extremes of the continuum, are particularly likely in natural communities given variability in abiotic factors, the availability of suboptimal hosts and the relevance of multitrophic partnerships. We revisit the 'rules of life' in terms of how long-term infections shape the fate of viruses and microbial cells, populations and ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Samantha R Coy
- BioSciences Department, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Alison Buchan
- Department of Microbiology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA.
| | - Matthew B Sullivan
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA. .,Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geodetic Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
| | - Joshua S Weitz
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA. .,School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA.
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23
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Hockenberry AJ, Wilke CO. BACPHLIP: predicting bacteriophage lifestyle from conserved protein domains. PeerJ 2021; 9:e11396. [PMID: 33996289 PMCID: PMC8106911 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.11396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophages are broadly classified into two distinct lifestyles: temperate and virulent. Temperate phages are capable of a latent phase of infection within a host cell (lysogenic cycle), whereas virulent phages directly replicate and lyse host cells upon infection (lytic cycle). Accurate lifestyle identification is critical for determining the role of individual phage species within ecosystems and their effect on host evolution. Here, we present BACPHLIP, a BACterioPHage LIfestyle Predictor. BACPHLIP detects the presence of a set of conserved protein domains within an input genome and uses this data to predict lifestyle via a Random Forest classifier that was trained on a dataset of 634 phage genomes. On an independent test set of 423 phages, BACPHLIP has an accuracy of 98% greatly exceeding that of the previously existing tools (79%). BACPHLIP is freely available on GitHub (https://github.com/adamhockenberry/bacphlip) and the code used to build and test the classifier is provided in a separate repository (https://github.com/adamhockenberry/bacphlip-model-dev) for users wishing to interrogate and re-train the underlying classification model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam J. Hockenberry
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas, Austin, TX, United States of America
| | - Claus O. Wilke
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas, Austin, TX, United States of America
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24
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Demory D, Weitz JS, Baudoux AC, Touzeau S, Simon N, Rabouille S, Sciandra A, Bernard O. A thermal trade-off between viral production and degradation drives virus-phytoplankton population dynamics. Ecol Lett 2021; 24:1133-1144. [PMID: 33877734 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Revised: 09/24/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Marine viruses interact with microbial hosts in dynamic environments shaped by variation in abiotic factors, including temperature. However, the impacts of temperature on viral infection of phytoplankton are not well understood. Here we coupled mathematical modelling with experiments to explore the effect of temperature on virus-phytoplankton interactions. Our model shows the negative consequences of high temperatures on infection and suggests a temperature-dependent threshold between viral production and degradation. Modelling long-term dynamics in environments with different average temperatures revealed the potential for long-term host-virus coexistence, epidemic free or habitat loss states. We generalised our model to variation in global sea surface temperatures corresponding to present and future seas and show that climate change may differentially influence virus-host dynamics depending on the virus-host pair. Temperature-dependent changes in the infectivity of virus particles may lead to shifts in virus-host habitats in warmer oceans, analogous to projected changes in the habitats of macro-, microorganisms and pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Demory
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Joshua S Weitz
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA.,School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Anne-Claire Baudoux
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, UMR 7144 - Ecology of Marine Plankton, Station Biologique de Roscoff, Roscoff, 29860, France
| | - Suzanne Touzeau
- Université Côte d'Azur, INRIA, INRAE, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, BIOCORE, Sophia Antipolis, 06902, France.,Université Côte d'Azur, INRAE, CNRS, ISA, Sophia Antipolis, France
| | - Natalie Simon
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, UMR 7144 - Ecology of Marine Plankton, Station Biologique de Roscoff, Roscoff, 29860, France
| | - Sophie Rabouille
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, UMR 7621 - Laboratoire d'Océanographie Microbienne, Banyuls-sur-Mer, 66650, France
| | - Antoine Sciandra
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, UMR 7093 - Laboratoire d'Océanographie de Villefranche, Villefranche-sur-Mer, 06230, France
| | - Olivier Bernard
- Université Côte d'Azur, INRIA, INRAE, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, BIOCORE, Sophia Antipolis, 06902, France
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Hassan AY, Lin JT, Ricker N, Anany H. The Age of Phage: Friend or Foe in the New Dawn of Therapeutic and Biocontrol Applications? Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2021; 14:199. [PMID: 33670836 PMCID: PMC7997343 DOI: 10.3390/ph14030199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Revised: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Extended overuse and misuse of antibiotics and other antibacterial agents has resulted in an antimicrobial resistance crisis. Bacteriophages, viruses that infect bacteria, have emerged as a legitimate alternative antibacterial agent with a wide scope of applications which continue to be discovered and refined. However, the potential of some bacteriophages to aid in the acquisition, maintenance, and dissemination of negatively associated bacterial genes, including resistance and virulence genes, through transduction is of concern and requires deeper understanding in order to be properly addressed. In particular, their ability to interact with mobile genetic elements such as plasmids, genomic islands, and integrative conjugative elements (ICEs) enables bacteriophages to contribute greatly to bacterial evolution. Nonetheless, bacteriophages have the potential to be used as therapeutic and biocontrol agents within medical, agricultural, and food processing settings, against bacteria in both planktonic and biofilm environments. Additionally, bacteriophages have been deployed in developing rapid, sensitive, and specific biosensors for various bacterial targets. Intriguingly, their bioengineering capabilities show great promise in improving their adaptability and effectiveness as biocontrol and detection tools. This review aims to provide a balanced perspective on bacteriophages by outlining advantages, challenges, and future steps needed in order to boost their therapeutic and biocontrol potential, while also providing insight on their potential role in contributing to bacterial evolution and survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmad Y. Hassan
- Guelph Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Guelph, ON N1G 5C9, Canada;
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, College of Biological Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada;
| | - Janet T. Lin
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, College of Biological Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada;
| | - Nicole Ricker
- Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada;
| | - Hany Anany
- Guelph Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Guelph, ON N1G 5C9, Canada;
- Department of Food Science, Ontario Agricultural College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
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26
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Lord JS, Bonsall MB. The evolutionary dynamics of viruses: virion release strategies, time delays and fitness minima. Virus Evol 2021; 7:veab039. [PMID: 34221452 PMCID: PMC8242231 DOI: 10.1093/ve/veab039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Viruses exhibit a diverse array of strategies for infecting host cells and for virion release after replication. Cell exit strategies generally involve either budding from the cell membrane or killing the host cell. The conditions under which either is at a selective advantage is a key question in the evolutionary theory of viruses, with the outcome having potentially important impacts on the course of infection and pathogenicity. Although a plethora of external factors will influence the fitness of either strategy; here, we focus just on the effects of the physical properties of the system. We develop theoretical approaches to assess the effects of the time delays between initial infection and virion release. We show that the length of the delay before apoptosis is an important trait in virus evolutionary dynamics. Our results show that for a fixed time to apoptosis, intermediate delays lead to virus fitness that is lower than short times to apoptosis - leading to an apoptotic strategy - and long times to apoptosis - leading to a budding strategy at the between-cell level. At fitness minima, selection is expected to be disruptive and the potential for adaptive radiation in virus strategies is feasible. Hence, the physical properties of the system are sufficient to explain the existence of both budding and virus-induced apoptosis. The fitness functions presented here provide a formal basis for further work focusing on the evolutionary implications of trade-offs between time delays, intracellular replication and resulting mutation rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer S Lord
- Department of Vector Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK
| | - Michael B Bonsall
- Mathematical Ecology Research Group, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SZ, UK
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