1
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Trueba G, Cardenas P, Romo G, Gutierrez B. Reevaluating human-microbiota symbiosis: Strain-level insights and evolutionary perspectives across animal species. Biosystems 2024; 244:105283. [PMID: 39103138 DOI: 10.1016/j.biosystems.2024.105283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2024] [Revised: 08/01/2024] [Accepted: 08/02/2024] [Indexed: 08/07/2024]
Abstract
The prevailing consensus in scientific literature underscores the mutualistic bond between the microbiota and the human host, suggesting a finely tuned coevolutionary partnership that enhances the fitness of both parties. This symbiotic relationship has been extensively studied, with certain bacterial attributes being construed as hallmarks of natural selection favoring the benefit of the human host. Some scholars go as far as equating the intricate interplay between humans and their intestinal microbiota to that of endosymbiotic relationships, even conceptualizing microbiota as an integral human organ. However, amidst the prevailing narrative of bacterial species being categorized as beneficial or detrimental to human health, a critical oversight often emerges - the inherent functional diversity within bacterial strains. Such reductionist perspectives risk oversimplifying the complex dynamics at play within the microbiome. Recent genomic analysis at the strain level is highly limited, which is surprising given that strain information provides critical data about selective pressures in the intestine. These pressures appear to focus more on the well-being of bacteria rather than human health. Connected to this is the extent to which animals depend on metabolic activity from intestinal bacteria, which varies widely across species. While omnivores like humans exhibit lower dependency, certain herbivores rely entirely on bacterial activity and have developed specialized compartments to house these bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Trueba
- Instituto de Microbiología, Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito, Ecuador.
| | - Paul Cardenas
- Instituto de Microbiología, Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito, Ecuador
| | - German Romo
- Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Bernardo Gutierrez
- Laboratorio de Biotecnología Vegetal, Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito, Ecuador; Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, UK
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2
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Bustamante M, Koopman F, Martens J, Brons JK, DelaFuente J, Hackl T, Kuipers OP, van Doorn GS, de Vos MGJ. Community context influences the conjugation efficiency of Escherichia coli. FEMS MICROBES 2024; 5:xtae023. [PMID: 39170752 PMCID: PMC11338288 DOI: 10.1093/femsmc/xtae023] [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: 01/29/2024] [Revised: 07/18/2024] [Accepted: 07/26/2024] [Indexed: 08/23/2024] Open
Abstract
In urinary tract infections (UTIs), different bacteria can live in a polymicrobial community consisting of different species. It is unknown how community members affect the conjugation efficiency of uropathogenic Escherichia coli. We investigated the influence of individual species often coisolated from urinary infections (UTI) on the conjugation efficiency of E. coli isolates in artificial urine medium. Pairwise conjugation rate experiments were conducted between a donor E. coli strain containing the pOXA-48 plasmid and six uropathogenic E. coli isolates, in the presence and absence of five different species commonly coisolated in polymicrobial UTIs to elucidate their effect on the conjugation efficiency of E. coli. We found that the basal conjugation rates of pOXA-48, in the absence of other species, are dependent on the bacterial host genetic background. Additionally, we found that bacterial interactions have an overall positive effect on the conjugation rate of pOXA-48. Particularly, Gram-positive enterococcal species were found to enhance the conjugation rates towards uropathogenic E. coli isolates. We hypothesize that the nature of the coculture and physical interactions are important for these increased conjugation rates in an artificial urine medium environment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Floor Koopman
- GELIFES, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jesper Martens
- GELIFES, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jolanda K Brons
- GELIFES, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | | | - Thomas Hackl
- GELIFES, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Oscar P Kuipers
- GBB, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | | | - Marjon G J de Vos
- GELIFES, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
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3
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Dewar AE, Hao C, Belcher LJ, Ghoul M, West SA. Bacterial lifestyle shapes pangenomes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2320170121. [PMID: 38743630 PMCID: PMC11126918 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2320170121] [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: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Pangenomes vary across bacteria. Some species have fluid pangenomes, with a high proportion of genes varying between individual genomes. Other species have less fluid pangenomes, with different genomes tending to contain the same genes. Two main hypotheses have been suggested to explain this variation: differences in species' bacterial lifestyle and effective population size. However, previous studies have not been able to test between these hypotheses because the different features of lifestyle and effective population size are highly correlated with each other, and phylogenetically conserved, making it hard to disentangle their relative importance. We used phylogeny-based analyses, across 126 bacterial species, to tease apart the causal role of different factors. We found that pangenome fluidity was lower in i) host-associated compared with free-living species and ii) host-associated species that are obligately dependent on a host, live inside cells, and are more pathogenic and less motile. In contrast, we found no support for the competing hypothesis that larger effective population sizes lead to more fluid pangenomes. Effective population size appears to correlate with pangenome variation because it is also driven by bacterial lifestyle, rather than because of a causal relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna E. Dewar
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, OxfordOX1 3SZ, United Kingdom
| | - Chunhui Hao
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, OxfordOX1 3SZ, United Kingdom
| | | | - Melanie Ghoul
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, OxfordOX1 3SZ, United Kingdom
| | - Stuart A. West
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, OxfordOX1 3SZ, United Kingdom
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4
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Aldaihani R, Heath LS. Investigating the nature of prokaryotic genomic island locations within a genome. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0301172. [PMID: 38696408 PMCID: PMC11065298 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0301172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is a powerful evolutionary force that considerably shapes the structure of prokaryotic genomes and is associated with genomic islands (GIs). A GI is a DNA segment composed of transferred genes that can be found within a prokaryotic genome, obtained through HGT. Much research has focused on detecting GIs in genomes, but here we pursue a new course, which is identifying possible preferred locations of GIs in the prokaryotic genome. Here, we identify the locations of the GIs within prokaryotic genomes to examine patterns in those locations. Prokaryotic GIs were analyzed according to the genome structure that they are located in, whether it be a circular or a linear genome. The analytical investigations employed are: (1) studying the GI locations in relation to the origin of replication (oriC); (2) exploring the distances between GIs; and (3) determining the distribution of GIs across the genomes. For each of the investigations, the analysis was performed on all of the GIs in the data set. Moreover, to void bias caused by the distribution of the genomes represented, the GIs in one genome from each species and the GIs of the most frequent species are also analyzed. Overall, the results showed that there are preferred sites for the GIs in the genome. In the linear genomes, these sites are usually located in the oriC region and terminus region, while in the circular genomes, they are located solely in the terminus region. These results also showed that the distance distribution between the GIs is almost exponential, which proves that GIs have preferred sites within genomes. The oriC and termniuns are preferred sites for the GIs and a possible natural explanation for this could be connected to the content of the oriC region. Moreover, the content of the GIs in terms of its protein families was studied and the results demonstrated that the majority of frequent protein families are close to identical in each section.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reem Aldaihani
- Department of Computer Science, Kuwait University, Kuwait City, State of Kuwait, Kuwait
- Department of Computer Science, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States of America
| | - Lenwood S. Heath
- Department of Computer Science, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States of America
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5
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Guillén-Chable F, Valdez Iuit JO, Avila Castro LA, Rosas C, Merino E, Rodríguez-Escamilla Z, Martínez-Núñez MA. Geographical distribution of mobile genetic elements in microbial communities along the Yucatan coast. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0301642. [PMID: 38683832 PMCID: PMC11057721 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0301642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is a well-documented strategy used by bacteria to enhance their adaptability to challenging environmental conditions. Through HGT, a group of conserved genetic elements known as mobile genetic elements (MGEs) is disseminated within bacterial communities. MGEs offer numerous advantages to the host, increasing its fitness by acquiring new functions that help bacteria contend with adverse conditions, including exposure to heavy metal and antibiotics. This study explores MGEs within microbial communities along the Yucatan coast using a metatranscriptomics approach. Prior to this research, nothing was known about the coastal Yucatan's microbial environmental mobilome and HGT processes between these bacterial communities. This study reveals a positive correlation between MGEs and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) along the Yucatan coast, with higher MGEs abundance in more contaminated sites. The Proteobacteria and Firmicutes groups exhibited the highest number of MGEs. It's important to highlight that the most abundant classes of MGEs might not be the ones most strongly linked to ARGs, as observed for the recombination/repair class. This work presents the first geographical distribution of the environmental mobilome in Yucatan Peninsula mangroves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Guillén-Chable
- UMDI-Sisal, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Sisal, Yucatán, México
| | - Johnny Omar Valdez Iuit
- UMDI-Sisal, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Sisal, Yucatán, México
| | | | - Carlos Rosas
- UMDI-Sisal, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Sisal, Yucatán, México
| | - Enrique Merino
- Departamento de Microbiología Molecular, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
| | - Zuemy Rodríguez-Escamilla
- Facultad de Sistemas Biológicos e Innovación Tecnológica, Universidad Autónoma "Benito Juárez" de Oaxaca, Oaxaca de Juárez, Oaxaca, México
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6
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Dewar AE, Belcher LJ, Scott TW, West SA. Genes for cooperation are not more likely to be carried by plasmids. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20232549. [PMID: 38412971 PMCID: PMC10898968 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.2549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Cooperation is prevalent across bacteria, but risks being exploited by non-cooperative cheats. Horizontal gene transfer, particularly via plasmids, has been suggested as a mechanism to stabilize cooperation. A key prediction of this hypothesis is that genes which are more likely to be transferred, such as those on plasmids, should be more likely to code for cooperative traits. Testing this prediction requires identifying all genes for cooperation in bacterial genomes. However, previous studies used a method which likely misses some of these genes for cooperation. To solve this, we used a new genomics tool, SOCfinder, which uses three distinct modules to identify all kinds of genes for cooperation. We compared where these genes were located across 4648 genomes from 146 bacterial species. In contrast to the prediction of the hypothesis, we found no evidence that plasmid genes are more likely to code for cooperative traits. Instead, we found the opposite-that genes for cooperation were more likely to be carried on chromosomes. Overall, the vast majority of genes for cooperation are not located on plasmids, suggesting that the more general mechanism of kin selection is sufficient to explain the prevalence of cooperation across bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna E Dewar
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SZ, UK
| | | | - Thomas W Scott
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SZ, UK
| | - Stuart A West
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SZ, UK
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7
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Ilyas M, Purkait D, Atmakuri K. Genomic islands and their role in fitness traits of two key sepsis-causing bacterial pathogens. Brief Funct Genomics 2024; 23:55-68. [PMID: 36528816 DOI: 10.1093/bfgp/elac051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Revised: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2024] Open
Abstract
To survive and establish a niche for themselves, bacteria constantly evolve. Toward that, they not only insert point mutations and promote illegitimate recombinations within their genomes but also insert pieces of 'foreign' deoxyribonucleic acid, which are commonly referred to as 'genomic islands' (GEIs). The GEIs come in several forms, structures and types, often providing a fitness advantage to the harboring bacterium. In pathogenic bacteria, some GEIs may enhance virulence, thus altering disease burden, morbidity and mortality. Hence, delineating (i) the GEIs framework, (ii) their encoded functions, (iii) the triggers that help them move, (iv) the mechanisms they exploit to move among bacteria and (v) identification of their natural reservoirs will aid in superior tackling of several bacterial diseases, including sepsis. Given the vast array of comparative genomics data, in this short review, we provide an overview of the GEIs, their types and the compositions therein, especially highlighting GEIs harbored by two important pathogens, viz. Acinetobacter baumannii and Klebsiella pneumoniae, which prominently trigger sepsis in low- and middle-income countries. Our efforts help shed some light on the challenges these pathogens pose when equipped with GEIs. We hope that this review will provoke intense research into understanding GEIs, the cues that drive their mobility across bacteria and the ways and means to prevent their transfer, especially across pathogenic bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohd Ilyas
- Bacterial Pathogenesis Lab, Infection and Immunity Group, Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad, Haryana 121001, India
| | - Dyuti Purkait
- Bacterial Pathogenesis Lab, Infection and Immunity Group, Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad, Haryana 121001, India
| | - Krishnamohan Atmakuri
- Bacterial Pathogenesis Lab, Infection and Immunity Group, Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad, Haryana 121001, India
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8
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Tartik M. The priority of yeast to select among various DNA options to repair genome breaks by homologous recombination. Mol Biol Rep 2024; 51:99. [PMID: 38206425 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-023-09058-0] [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: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is considered an important mechanism to contribute to the evolution of bacteria, plants, and animals by allowing the movement of genetic material between organisms, in difference to vertical inheritance. Thereby it can also play a significant role in spreading traits like antibiotic resistance among bacteria and virulence factors between pathogens. During the HGT, organisms take up free DNA from the environment and incorporate it into their genomes. Although HGT is known to be carried out by many organisms, there is limited information on how organisms select which genetic material for horizontal transfer. Here we have investigated the preference priority of Saccharomyces cerevisiae between different options of gene source presented under certain stress conditions to repair a double-strand break (DSB) in DNA via HR. RESULTS Each genetic module was designed with appropriate sequences being homologous for two sides of the DSB, which is important for yeast to repair the fracture with HR. S. cerevisiae made a random selection between two heterologous T1 (44%) and T2 (56%) modules to repair DSB. Interestingly, yeast corrected the DNA break only with the T3 module (almost 100%) when the homologous T3 module was an option for the selection. It seems that S. cerevisiae tends to prefer T3 over alternatives to fix DSBs when it exists among the options. CONCLUSIONS It seems that S. cerevisiae have a preference for priority to select a particular one under certain conditions when it has various DNA options to repair a DSB in its genome, further studies are required to support our findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Musa Tartik
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Bingol University, 12000, Bingol, Turkey.
- Department of Life Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology, Kemivägen 10, 412 96, Gothenburg, Sweden.
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9
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Kerkvliet JJ, Bossers A, Kers JG, Meneses R, Willems R, Schürch AC. Metagenomic assembly is the main bottleneck in the identification of mobile genetic elements. PeerJ 2024; 12:e16695. [PMID: 38188174 PMCID: PMC10771768 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance genes (ARG) are commonly found on acquired mobile genetic elements (MGEs) such as plasmids or transposons. Understanding the spread of resistance genes associated with mobile elements (mARGs) across different hosts and environments requires linking ARGs to the existing mobile reservoir within bacterial communities. However, reconstructing mARGs in metagenomic data from diverse ecosystems poses computational challenges, including genome fragment reconstruction (assembly), high-throughput annotation of MGEs, and identification of their association with ARGs. Recently, several bioinformatics tools have been developed to identify assembled fragments of plasmids, phages, and insertion sequence (IS) elements in metagenomic data. These methods can help in understanding the dissemination of mARGs. To streamline the process of identifying mARGs in multiple samples, we combined these tools in an automated high-throughput open-source pipeline, MetaMobilePicker, that identifies ARGs associated with plasmids, IS elements and phages, starting from short metagenomic sequencing reads. This pipeline was used to identify these three elements on a simplified simulated metagenome dataset, comprising whole genome sequences from seven clinically relevant bacterial species containing 55 ARGs, nine plasmids and five phages. The results demonstrated moderate precision for the identification of plasmids (0.57) and phages (0.71), and moderate sensitivity of identification of IS elements (0.58) and ARGs (0.70). In this study, we aim to assess the main causes of this moderate performance of the MGE prediction tools in a comprehensive manner. We conducted a systematic benchmark, considering metagenomic read coverage, contig length cutoffs and investigating the performance of the classification algorithms. Our analysis revealed that the metagenomic assembly process is the primary bottleneck when linking ARGs to identified MGEs in short-read metagenomics sequencing experiments rather than ARGs and MGEs identification by the different tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesse J. Kerkvliet
- Department of Medical Microbiology, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Alex Bossers
- Utrecht University, Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Wageningen University, Wageningen Bioveterinary Research, Lelystad, The Netherlands
| | - Jannigje G. Kers
- Utrecht University, Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Rodrigo Meneses
- Department of Medical Microbiology, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Rob Willems
- Department of Medical Microbiology, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Anita C. Schürch
- Department of Medical Microbiology, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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10
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Tamayo-Leiva J, Alcorta J, Sepúlveda F, Fuentes-Alburquenque S, Arroyo JI, González-Pastor JE, Díez B. Structure and dispersion of the conjugative mobilome in surface ocean bacterioplankton. ISME COMMUNICATIONS 2024; 4:ycae059. [PMID: 38770060 PMCID: PMC11104534 DOI: 10.1093/ismeco/ycae059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2024] [Revised: 04/13/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Mobile genetic elements (MGEs), collectively referred to as the "mobilome", can have a significant impact on the fitness of microbial communities and therefore on ecological processes. Marine MGEs have mainly been associated with wide geographical and phylogenetic dispersal of adaptative traits. However, whether the structure of this mobilome exhibits deterministic patterns in the natural community is still an open question. The aim of this study was to characterize the structure of the conjugative mobilome in the ocean surface bacterioplankton by searching the publicly available marine metagenomes from the TARA Oceans survey, together with molecular markers, such as relaxases and type IV coupling proteins of the type IV secretion system (T4SS). The T4SS machinery was retrieved in more abundance than relaxases in the surface marine bacterioplankton. Moreover, among the identified MGEs, mobilizable elements were the most abundant, outnumbering self-conjugative sequences. Detection of a high number of incomplete T4SSs provides insight into possible strategies related to trans-acting activity between MGEs, and accessory functions of the T4SS (e.g. protein secretion), allowing the host to maintain a lower metabolic burden in the highly dynamic marine system. Additionally, the results demonstrate a wide geographical dispersion of MGEs throughout oceanic regions, while the Southern Ocean appears segregated from other regions. The marine mobilome also showed a high similarity of functions present in known plasmid databases. Moreover, cargo genes were mostly related to DNA processing, but scarcely associated with antibiotic resistance. Finally, within the MGEs, integrative and conjugative elements showed wider marine geographic dispersion than plasmids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Tamayo-Leiva
- Biological Sciences Faculty, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 8331150, Chile
- Center for Climate and Resilience Research (CR2), University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Jaime Alcorta
- Biological Sciences Faculty, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 8331150, Chile
- Millennium Institute Center for Genome Regulation (CRG) , Santiago, Chile
| | - Felipe Sepúlveda
- Biological Sciences Faculty, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 8331150, Chile
- Millennium Institute Center for Genome Regulation (CRG) , Santiago, Chile
| | - Sebastián Fuentes-Alburquenque
- Centro de Investigación en Recursos Naturales y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Bernardo O’Higgins, Santiago, Chile
- Departamento de Matemáticas y Ciencias de la Ingeniería, Facultad de Ingeniería, Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad Bernardo O’Higgins, Santiago, Chile
| | - José Ignacio Arroyo
- Biological Sciences Faculty, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 8331150, Chile
- The Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM 87131, United States
- Centro de Modelamiento Matemático, Universidad de Chile, IRL 2807 CNRS Beauchef 851, Santiago, Chile
| | - José Eduardo González-Pastor
- Department of Molecular Evolution, Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), CSIC-INTA. Carretera de Ajalvir km 4, Torrejón de Ardoz 28850 Madrid, Spain
| | - Beatriz Díez
- Biological Sciences Faculty, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 8331150, Chile
- Center for Climate and Resilience Research (CR2), University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Millennium Institute Center for Genome Regulation (CRG) , Santiago, Chile
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11
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Anda M, Yamanouchi S, Cosentino S, Sakamoto M, Ohkuma M, Takashima M, Toyoda A, Iwasaki W. Bacteria can maintain rRNA operons solely on plasmids for hundreds of millions of years. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7232. [PMID: 37963895 PMCID: PMC10645730 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42681-w] [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: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
It is generally assumed that all bacteria must have at least one rRNA operon (rrn operon) on the chromosome, but some strains of the genera Aureimonas and Oecophyllibacter carry their sole rrn operon on a plasmid. However, other related strains and species have chromosomal rrn loci, suggesting that the exclusive presence of rrn operons on a plasmid is rare and unlikely to be stably maintained over long evolutionary periods. Here, we report the results of a systematic search for additional bacteria without chromosomal rrn operons. We find that at least four bacterial clades in the phyla Bacteroidota, Spirochaetota, and Pseudomonadota (Proteobacteria) lost chromosomal rrn operons independently. Remarkably, Persicobacteraceae have apparently maintained this peculiar genome organization for hundreds of millions of years. In our study, all the rrn-carrying plasmids in bacteria lacking chromosomal rrn loci possess replication initiator genes of the Rep_3 family. Furthermore, the lack of chromosomal rrn operons is associated with differences in copy numbers of rrn operons, plasmids, and chromosomal tRNA genes. Thus, our findings indicate that the absence of rrn loci in bacterial chromosomes can be stably maintained over long evolutionary periods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mizue Anda
- Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, the University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-0882, Japan.
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, the University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0032, Japan.
| | - Shun Yamanouchi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, the University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0032, Japan
| | - Salvatore Cosentino
- Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, the University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-0882, Japan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, the University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0032, Japan
| | - Mitsuo Sakamoto
- Microbe Division/Japan Collection of Microorganisms, RIKEN BioResource Research Center, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-0074, Japan
| | - Moriya Ohkuma
- Microbe Division/Japan Collection of Microorganisms, RIKEN BioResource Research Center, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-0074, Japan
| | - Masako Takashima
- Microbe Division/Japan Collection of Microorganisms, RIKEN BioResource Research Center, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-0074, Japan
| | - Atsushi Toyoda
- Advanced Genomics Center, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Shizuoka, 411-8540, Japan
| | - Wataru Iwasaki
- Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, the University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-0882, Japan.
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, the University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0032, Japan.
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, the University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-0882, Japan.
- Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, the University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-0882, Japan.
- Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, the University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0032, Japan.
- Collaborative Research Institute for Innovative Microbiology, the University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0032, Japan.
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12
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Vos M, Padfield D, Quince C, Vos R. Adaptive radiations in natural populations of prokaryotes: innovation is key. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2023; 99:fiad154. [PMID: 37996397 PMCID: PMC10710302 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiad154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Prokaryote diversity makes up most of the tree of life and is crucial to the functioning of the biosphere and human health. However, the patterns and mechanisms of prokaryote diversification have received relatively little attention compared to animals and plants. Adaptive radiation, the rapid diversification of an ancestor species into multiple ecologically divergent species, is a fundamental process by which macrobiological diversity is generated. Here, we discuss whether ecological opportunity could lead to similar bursts of diversification in bacteria. We explore how adaptive radiations in prokaryotes can be kickstarted by horizontally acquired key innovations allowing lineages to invade new niche space that subsequently is partitioned among diversifying specialist descendants. We discuss how novel adaptive zones are colonized and exploited after the evolution of a key innovation and whether certain types of are more prone to adaptive radiation. Radiation into niche specialists does not necessarily lead to speciation in bacteria when barriers to recombination are absent. We propose that in this scenario, niche-specific genes could accumulate within a single lineage, leading to the evolution of an open pangenome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michiel Vos
- European Centre for Environment and Human Health, University of Exeter Medical School, Environment and Sustainability Institute, Treliever Road, Penryn Campus, Penryn, TR10 9FE, United Kingdom
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Treliever Road, Penryn Campus, Penryn, TR10 9FE, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel Padfield
- European Centre for Environment and Human Health, University of Exeter Medical School, Environment and Sustainability Institute, Treliever Road, Penryn Campus, Penryn, TR10 9FE, United Kingdom
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Treliever Road, Penryn Campus, Penryn, TR10 9FE, United Kingdom
| | - Christopher Quince
- Organisms and Ecosystems, Earlham Institute, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UZ, United Kingdom
- Gut Microbes and Health, Quadram Institute, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UQ, United Kingdom
| | - Rutger Vos
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Understanding Evolution, Darwinweg 2, Leiden 2333 CR, the Netherlands
- Institute of Biology Leiden, Leiden University, Sylviusweg 72, Leiden 2333 BE, the Netherlands
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13
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Liang J, Cameron G, Faucher SP. Development of heat-shock resistance in Legionella pneumophila modeled by experimental evolution. Appl Environ Microbiol 2023; 89:e0066623. [PMID: 37668382 PMCID: PMC10537758 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00666-23] [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: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Because it can grow in buildings with complex hot water distribution systems (HWDS), healthcare facilities recognize the waterborne bacterium Legionella pneumophila as a major nosocomial infection threat and often try to clear the systems with a pasteurization process known as superheat-and-flush. After this treatment, many facilities find that the contaminating populations slowly recover, suggesting the possibility of in situ evolution favoring increased survival in high-temperature conditions. To mimic this process in a controlled environment, an adaptive laboratory evolution model was used to select a wild-type strain of L. pneumophila for survival to transient exposures to temperatures characteristic of routine hot water use or failed pasteurization processes in HWDS. Over their evolution, these populations became insensitive to exposure to 55°C and developed the ability to survive short exposures to 59°C heat shock. Heat-adapted lineages maintained a higher expression of heat-shock genes during low-temperature incubation in freshwater, suggesting a pre-adaptation to heat stress. Although there were distinct mutation profiles in each of the heat-adapted lineages, each acquired multiple mutations in the DnaJ/DnaK/ClpB disaggregase complex, as well as mutations in chaperone htpG and protease clpX. These mutations were specific to heat-shock survival and were not seen in control lineages included in the experimental model without exposure to heat shock. This study supports in situ observations of adaptation to heat stress and demonstrates the potential of L. pneumophila to develop resistance to control measures. IMPORTANCE As a bacterium that thrives in warm water ecosystems, Legionella pneumophila is a key factor motivating regulations on hot water systems. Two major measures to control Legionella are high circulating temperatures intended to curtail growth and the use of superheat-and-flush pasteurization processes to eliminate established populations. Facilities often suffer recolonization of their hot water systems; hospitals are particularly at risk due to the severe nosocomial pneumoniae caused by Legionella. To understand these long-term survivors, we have used an adaptive laboratory evolution model to replicate this process. We find major differences between the mutational profiles of heat-adapted and heat-naïve L. pneumophila populations including mutations in major heat-shock genes like chaperones and proteases. This model demonstrates that well-validated treatment protocols are needed to clear contaminated systems and-in an analog to antibiotic resistance-the importance of complete eradication of the resident population to prevent selection for more persistent bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey Liang
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Québec, Canada
| | - Gillian Cameron
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Québec, Canada
| | - Sébastien P. Faucher
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Québec, Canada
- Centre de Recherche en Infectiologie Porcine et Avicole (CRIPA), Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada
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14
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Takeuchi N, Hamada-Zhu S, Suzuki H. Prophages and plasmids can display opposite trends in the types of accessory genes they carry. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20231088. [PMID: 37339743 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.1088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Mobile genetic elements (MGEs), such as phages and plasmids, often possess accessory genes encoding bacterial functions, facilitating bacterial evolution. Are there rules governing the arsenal of accessory genes MGEs carry? If such rules exist, they might be reflected in the types of accessory genes different MGEs carry. To test this hypothesis, we compare prophages and plasmids with respect to the frequencies at which they carry antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and virulence factor genes (VFGs) in the genomes of 21 pathogenic bacterial species using public databases. Our results indicate that prophages tend to carry VFGs more frequently than ARGs in three species, whereas plasmids tend to carry ARGs more frequently than VFGs in nine species, relative to genomic backgrounds. In Escherichia coli, where this prophage-plasmid disparity is detected, prophage-borne VFGs encode a much narrower range of functions than do plasmid-borne VFGs, typically involved in damaging host cells or modulating host immunity. In the species where the above disparity is not detected, ARGs and VFGs are barely found in prophages and plasmids. These results indicate that MGEs can differentiate in the types of accessory genes they carry depending on their infection strategies, suggesting a rule governing horizontal gene transfer mediated by MGEs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nobuto Takeuchi
- School of Biological Sciences, the University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
- Universal Biology Institute, the University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Sophia Hamada-Zhu
- School of Biological Sciences, the University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Haruo Suzuki
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University, Tsuruoka, Yamagata, Japan
- Faculty of Environment and Information Studies, Keio University, Fujisawa, Japan
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15
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Smith WPJ, Wucher BR, Nadell CD, Foster KR. Bacterial defences: mechanisms, evolution and antimicrobial resistance. Nat Rev Microbiol 2023:10.1038/s41579-023-00877-3. [PMID: 37095190 DOI: 10.1038/s41579-023-00877-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 45.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023]
Abstract
Throughout their evolutionary history, bacteria have faced diverse threats from other microorganisms, including competing bacteria, bacteriophages and predators. In response to these threats, they have evolved sophisticated defence mechanisms that today also protect bacteria against antibiotics and other therapies. In this Review, we explore the protective strategies of bacteria, including the mechanisms, evolution and clinical implications of these ancient defences. We also review the countermeasures that attackers have evolved to overcome bacterial defences. We argue that understanding how bacteria defend themselves in nature is important for the development of new therapies and for minimizing resistance evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- William P J Smith
- Division of Genomics, Infection and Evolution, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - Benjamin R Wucher
- Department of Biological sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Carey D Nadell
- Department of Biological sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Kevin R Foster
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
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16
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Behling AH, Wilson BC, Ho D, Virta M, O'Sullivan JM, Vatanen T. Addressing antibiotic resistance: computational answers to a biological problem? Curr Opin Microbiol 2023; 74:102305. [PMID: 37031568 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2023.102305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Revised: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023]
Abstract
The increasing prevalence of infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria is a global healthcare crisis. Understanding the spread of resistance is predicated on the surveillance of antibiotic resistance genes within an environment. Bioinformatics and artificial intelligence (AI) methods applied to metagenomic sequencing data offer the capacity to detect known and infer yet-unknown resistance mechanisms, and predict future outbreaks of antibiotic-resistant infections. Machine learning methods, in particular, could revive the waning antibiotic discovery pipeline by helping to predict the molecular structure and function of antibiotic resistance compounds, and optimising their interactions with target proteins. Consequently, AI has the capacity to play a central role in guiding antibiotic stewardship and future clinical decision-making around antibiotic resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna H Behling
- Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Brooke C Wilson
- Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Daniel Ho
- Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Marko Virta
- Department of Microbiology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Justin M O'Sullivan
- Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand; The Maurice Wilkins Centre, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand; Australian Parkinsons Mission, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, New South Wales, 384 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia; MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton SO16 6YD, United Kingdom; Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science Technology and Research, Singapore.
| | - Tommi Vatanen
- Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand; Department of Microbiology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Research Program for Clinical and Molecular Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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17
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Lee K, Raguideau S, Sirén K, Asnicar F, Cumbo F, Hildebrand F, Segata N, Cha CJ, Quince C. Population-level impacts of antibiotic usage on the human gut microbiome. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1191. [PMID: 36864029 PMCID: PMC9981903 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36633-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The widespread usage of antimicrobials has driven the evolution of resistance in pathogenic microbes, both increased prevalence of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) and their spread across species by horizontal gene transfer (HGT). However, the impact on the wider community of commensal microbes associated with the human body, the microbiome, is less well understood. Small-scale studies have determined the transient impacts of antibiotic consumption but we conduct an extensive survey of ARGs in 8972 metagenomes to determine the population-level impacts. Focusing on 3096 gut microbiomes from healthy individuals not taking antibiotics we demonstrate highly significant correlations between both the total ARG abundance and diversity and per capita antibiotic usage rates across ten countries spanning three continents. Samples from China were notable outliers. We use a collection of 154,723 human-associated metagenome assembled genomes (MAGs) to link these ARGs to taxa and detect HGT. This reveals that the correlations in ARG abundance are driven by multi-species mobile ARGs shared between pathogens and commensals, within a highly connected central component of the network of MAGs and ARGs. We also observe that individual human gut ARG profiles cluster into two types or resistotypes. The less frequent resistotype has higher overall ARG abundance, is associated with certain classes of resistance, and is linked to species-specific genes in the Proteobacteria on the periphery of the ARG network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kihyun Lee
- Department of Systems Biotechnology and Center for Antibiotic Resistome, Chung-Ang University, Anseong, 17546, Republic of Korea
- CJ Bioscience, Seoul, 04527, Republic of Korea
| | | | - Kimmo Sirén
- Section for Evolutionary Genomics, The GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Francesco Asnicar
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Fabio Cumbo
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Falk Hildebrand
- Organisms and Ecosystems, Earlham Institute, Norwich, NR4 7UZ, UK
- Gut Microbes and Health, Quadram Institute, Norwich, NR4 7UQ, UK
| | - Nicola Segata
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Chang-Jun Cha
- Department of Systems Biotechnology and Center for Antibiotic Resistome, Chung-Ang University, Anseong, 17546, Republic of Korea.
| | - Christopher Quince
- Organisms and Ecosystems, Earlham Institute, Norwich, NR4 7UZ, UK.
- Gut Microbes and Health, Quadram Institute, Norwich, NR4 7UQ, UK.
- Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7HL, UK.
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18
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Horne T, Orr VT, Hall JP. How do interactions between mobile genetic elements affect horizontal gene transfer? Curr Opin Microbiol 2023; 73:102282. [PMID: 36863168 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2023.102282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2023]
Abstract
Horizontal gene transfer is central to bacterial adaptation and is facilitated by mobile genetic elements (MGEs). Increasingly, MGEs are being studied as agents with their own interests and adaptations, and the interactions MGEs have with one another are recognised as having a powerful effect on the flow of traits between microbes. Collaborations and conflicts between MGEs are nuanced and can both promote and inhibit the acquisition of new genetic material, shaping the maintenance of newly acquired genes and the dissemination of important adaptive traits through microbiomes. We review recent studies that shed light on this dynamic and oftentimes interlaced interplay, highlighting the importance of genome defence systems in mediating MGE-MGE conflicts, and outlining the consequences for evolutionary change, that resonate from the molecular to microbiome and ecosystem levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanya Horne
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZB, United Kingdom
| | - Victoria T Orr
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZB, United Kingdom
| | - James Pj Hall
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZB, United Kingdom.
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19
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Genomic Island-Encoded Histidine Kinase and Response Regulator Coordinate Mannose Utilization with Virulence in Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli. mBio 2023; 14:e0315222. [PMID: 36786613 PMCID: PMC10128022 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03152-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) is a highly adaptive pathogen and has acquired diverse genetic elements, such as genomic islands and prophages, via horizontal gene transfer to promote fitness in vivo. Two-component signaling systems (TCSs) allow bacteria to sense, respond to, and adapt to various environments. This study identified a putative two-component signaling system composed of the histidine kinase EDL5436 (renamed LmvK) and the response regulator EDL5428 (renamed LmvR) in EHEC. lmvK and lmvR along with EDL5429 to EDL5434 (EDL5429-5434) between them constitute the OI167 genomic island and are highly associated with the EHEC pathotype. EDL5429-5434 encode transporters and metabolic enzymes that contribute to growth on mannose and are directly upregulated by LmvK/LmvR in the presence of mannose, as revealed by quantitative PCR (qPCR) and DNase I footprint assays. Moreover, LmvR directly activates the expression of the type III secretion system in response to mannose and promotes the formation of attaching and effacing lesions on HeLa cells. Using human colonoid and mouse infection models, we show that lmvK and lmvR contributed greatly to adherence and microcolony (MC) formation ex vivo and colonization in vivo. Finally, RNA sequencing and chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled with sequencing analyses identified additional direct targets of LmvR, most of which are involved in metabolism. Given that mannose is a mucus-derived sugar that induces virulence and is preferentially used by EHEC during infection, our data revealed a previously unknown mechanism by which EHEC recognizes the host metabolic landscape and regulates virulence expression accordingly. Our findings provide insights into how pathogenic bacteria evolve by acquiring genetic elements horizontally to adapt to host environments. IMPORTANCE The gastrointestinal tract represents a complex and challenging environment for enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC). However, EHEC is a highly adaptable pathogen, requiring only 10 to 100 CFUs to cause infection. This ability was achieved partially by acquiring mobile genetic elements, such as genomic islands, that promote overall fitness. Mannose is an intestinal mucus-derived sugar that stimulates virulence and is preferentially used by EHEC during infection. Here, we characterize the OI167 genomic island of EHEC, which encodes a novel two-component signaling system (TCS) and transporters and metabolic enzymes (EDL5429-5434) involved in mannose utilization. The TCS directly upregulates EDL5429-5434 and genes encoding the type III secretion system in the presence of mannose. Moreover, the TCS contributes greatly to EHEC virulence ex vivo and in vivo. Our data demonstrate an elegant example in which EHEC strains evolve by acquiring genetic elements horizontally to recognize the host metabolic landscape and regulate virulence expression accordingly, leading to successful infections.
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20
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Kosmopoulos JC, Campbell DE, Whitaker RJ, Wilbanks EG. Horizontal gene transfer and CRISPR targeting drive phage-bacterial host interactions and coevolution in pink berry marine microbial aggregates. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.06.527410. [PMID: 36798152 PMCID: PMC9934561 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.06.527410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Abstract
Bacteriophages (phages), viruses that infect bacteria, are the most abundant components of microbial communities and play roles in community dynamics and host evolution. The study of phage-host interactions, however, is made difficult by a paucity of model systems from natural environments and known and cultivable phage-host pairs. Here, we investigate phage-host interactions in the "pink berry" consortia, naturally-occurring, low-diversity, macroscopic aggregates of bacteria found in the Sippewissett Salt Marsh (Falmouth, MA, USA). We leverage metagenomic sequence data and a comparative genomics approach to identify eight compete phage genomes, infer their bacterial hosts from host-encoded clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR), and observe the potential evolutionary consequences of these interactions. Seven of the eight phages identified infect the known pink berry symbionts Desulfofustis sp. PB-SRB1, Thiohalocapsa sp. PB-PSB1, and Rhodobacteraceae sp. A2, and belong to entirely novel viral taxa, except for one genome which represents the second member of the Knuthellervirus genus. We further observed increased nucleotide variation over a region of a conserved phage capsid gene that is commonly targeted by host CRISPR systems, suggesting that CRISPRs may drive phage evolution in pink berries. Finally, we identified a predicted phage lysin gene that was horizontally transferred to its bacterial host, potentially via a transposon intermediary, emphasizing the role of phages in bacterial evolution in pink berries. Taken together, our results demonstrate that pink berry consortia contain diverse and variable phages, and provide evidence for phage-host co-evolution via multiple mechanisms in a natural microbial system. IMPORTANCE Phages (viruses that infect bacteria) are important components of all microbial systems, where they drive the turnover of organic matter by lysing host cells, facilitate horizontal gene transfer (HGT), and co-evolve with their bacterial hosts. Bacteria resist phage infection, which is often costly or lethal, through a diversity of mechanisms. One of these mechanisms are CRISPR systems, which encode arrays of phage-derived sequences from past infections to block subsequent infection with related phages. Here, we investigate bacteria and phage populations from a simple marine microbial community known as "pink berries" found in salt marshes of Falmouth, Massachusetts, as a model of phage-host co-evolution. We identify eight novel phages, and characterize a case of putative CRISPR-driven phage evolution and an instance of HGT between phage and host, together suggesting that phages have large evolutionary impacts in a naturally-occuring microbial community.
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Affiliation(s)
- James C. Kosmopoulos
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Microbiology Doctoral Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Microbial Diversity 2020, University of Chicago Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA, USA
| | - Danielle E. Campbell
- Microbial Diversity 2020, University of Chicago Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences & Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Address correspondence to or
| | - Rachel J. Whitaker
- Microbial Diversity 2020, University of Chicago Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA, USA
- Department of Microbiology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, USA
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Elizabeth G. Wilbanks
- Microbial Diversity 2020, University of Chicago Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA, USA
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA
- Address correspondence to or
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21
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Sengupta S, Azad RK. Leveraging comparative genomics to uncover alien genes in bacterial genomes. Microb Genom 2023; 9:mgen000939. [PMID: 36748570 PMCID: PMC9973850 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.000939] [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] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
A significant challenge in bacterial genomics is to catalogue genes acquired through the evolutionary process of horizontal gene transfer (HGT). Both comparative genomics and sequence composition-based methods have often been invoked to quantify horizontally acquired genes in bacterial genomes. Comparative genomics methods rely on completely sequenced genomes and therefore the confidence in their predictions increases as the databases become more enriched in completely sequenced genomes. Recent developments including in microbial genome sequencing call for reassessment of alien genes based on information-rich resources currently available. We revisited the comparative genomics approach and developed a new algorithm for alien gene detection. Our algorithm compared favourably with the existing comparative genomics-based methods and is capable of detecting both recent and ancient transfers. It can be used as a standalone tool or in concert with other complementary algorithms for comprehensively cataloguing alien genes in bacterial genomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soham Sengupta
- Department of Biological Sciences and BioDiscovery Institute, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas, 76203, USA
| | - Rajeev K Azad
- Department of Biological Sciences and BioDiscovery Institute, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas, 76203, USA.,Department of Mathematics, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas, 76203, USA
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22
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Distribution of fitness effects of cross-species transformation reveals potential for fast adaptive evolution. THE ISME JOURNAL 2023; 17:130-139. [PMID: 36224268 PMCID: PMC9751276 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-022-01325-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Bacterial transformation, a common mechanism of horizontal gene transfer, can speed up adaptive evolution. How its costs and benefits depend on the growth environment is poorly understood. Here, we characterize the distributions of fitness effects (DFE) of transformation in different conditions and test whether they predict in which condition transformation is beneficial. To determine the DFEs, we generate hybrid libraries between the recipient Bacillus subtilis and different donor species and measure the selection coefficient of each hybrid strain. In complex medium, the donor Bacillus vallismortis confers larger fitness effects than the more closely related donor Bacillus spizizenii. For both donors, the DFEs show strong effect beneficial transfers, indicating potential for fast adaptive evolution. While some transfers of B. vallismortis DNA show pleiotropic effects, various transfers are beneficial only under a single growth condition, indicating that the recipient can benefit from a variety of donor genes to adapt to varying growth conditions. We scrutinize the predictive value of the DFEs by laboratory evolution under different growth conditions and show that the DFEs correctly predict the condition at which transformation confers a benefit. We conclude that transformation has a strong potential for speeding up adaptation to varying environments by profiting from a gene pool shared between closely related species.
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23
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W B Jr M, A S R, P M, F B. Cellular and Natural Viral Engineering in Cognition-Based Evolution. Commun Integr Biol 2023; 16:2196145. [PMID: 37153718 PMCID: PMC10155641 DOI: 10.1080/19420889.2023.2196145] [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] [Indexed: 05/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Neo-Darwinism conceptualizes evolution as the continuous succession of predominately random genetic variations disciplined by natural selection. In that frame, the primary interaction between cells and the virome is relegated to host-parasite dynamics governed by selective influences. Cognition-Based Evolution regards biological and evolutionary development as a reciprocating cognition-based informational interactome for the protection of self-referential cells. To sustain cellular homeorhesis, cognitive cells collaborate to assess the validity of ambiguous biological information. That collective interaction involves coordinate measurement, communication, and active deployment of resources as Natural Cellular Engineering. These coordinated activities drive multicellularity, biological development, and evolutionary change. The virome participates as the vital intercessory among the cellular domains to ensure their shared permanent perpetuation. The interactions between the virome and the cellular domains represent active virocellular cross-communications for the continual exchange of resources. Modular genetic transfers between viruses and cells carry bioactive potentials. Those exchanges are deployed as nonrandom flexible tools among the domains in their continuous confrontation with environmental stresses. This alternative framework fundamentally shifts our perspective on viral-cellular interactions, strengthening established principles of viral symbiogenesis. Pathogenesis can now be properly appraised as one expression of a range of outcomes between cells and viruses within a larger conceptual framework of Natural Viral Engineering as a co-engineering participant with cells. It is proposed that Natural Viral Engineering should be viewed as a co-existent facet of Natural Cellular Engineering within Cognition-Based Evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miller W B Jr
- Banner Health Systems - Medicine, Paradise Valley, Arizona, AZ, USA
- CONTACT Miller W B Jr Paradise Valley, Arizona, AZ85253, USA
| | - Reber A S
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Marshall P
- Department of Engineering, Evolution 2.0, Oak Park, IL, USA
| | - Baluška F
- Institute of Cellular and Molecular Botany, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
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24
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Goldman AD, Kaçar B. Very early evolution from the perspective of microbial ecology. Environ Microbiol 2023; 25:5-10. [PMID: 35944516 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The universal ancestor at the root of the species tree of life depicts a population of organisms with a surprising degree of complexity, posessing genomes and translation systems much like that of microbial life today. As the first life forms were most likely to have been simple replicators, considerable evolutionary change must have taken place prior to the last universal common ancestor. It is often assumed that the lack of earlier branches on the tree of life is due to a prevalence of random horizontal gene transfer that obscured the delineations between lineages and hindered their divergence. Therefore, principles of microbial evolution and ecology may give us some insight into these early stages in the history of life. Here, we synthesize the current understanding of organismal and genome evolution from the perspective of microbial ecology and apply these evolutionary principles to the earliest stages of life on Earth. We focus especially on broad evolutionary modes pertaining to horizontal gene transfer, pangenome structure, and microbial mat communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron D Goldman
- Department of Biology, Oberlin College and Conservatory, Oberlin, Ohio, USA
| | - Betül Kaçar
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
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25
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Pillay S, Calderón-Franco D, Urhan A, Abeel T. Metagenomic-based surveillance systems for antibiotic resistance in non-clinical settings. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1066995. [PMID: 36532424 PMCID: PMC9755710 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1066995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The success of antibiotics as a therapeutic agent has led to their ineffectiveness. The continuous use and misuse in clinical and non-clinical areas have led to the emergence and spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and its genetic determinants. This is a multi-dimensional problem that has now become a global health crisis. Antibiotic resistance research has primarily focused on the clinical healthcare sectors while overlooking the non-clinical sectors. The increasing antibiotic usage in the environment - including animals, plants, soil, and water - are drivers of antibiotic resistance and function as a transmission route for antibiotic resistant pathogens and is a source for resistance genes. These natural compartments are interconnected with each other and humans, allowing the spread of antibiotic resistance via horizontal gene transfer between commensal and pathogenic bacteria. Identifying and understanding genetic exchange within and between natural compartments can provide insight into the transmission, dissemination, and emergence mechanisms. The development of high-throughput DNA sequencing technologies has made antibiotic resistance research more accessible and feasible. In particular, the combination of metagenomics and powerful bioinformatic tools and platforms have facilitated the identification of microbial communities and has allowed access to genomic data by bypassing the need for isolating and culturing microorganisms. This review aimed to reflect on the different sequencing techniques, metagenomic approaches, and bioinformatics tools and pipelines with their respective advantages and limitations for antibiotic resistance research. These approaches can provide insight into resistance mechanisms, the microbial population, emerging pathogens, resistance genes, and their dissemination. This information can influence policies, develop preventative measures and alleviate the burden caused by antibiotic resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Pillay
- Delft Bioinformatics Lab, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
| | | | - Aysun Urhan
- Delft Bioinformatics Lab, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Thomas Abeel
- Delft Bioinformatics Lab, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, United States
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26
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Wright RCT, Brockhurst MA. Plasmid evolution in the clinic. Nat Ecol Evol 2022; 6:1806-1807. [PMID: 36303002 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-022-01907-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rosanna C T Wright
- Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomics, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Michael A Brockhurst
- Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomics, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
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27
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Downing T, Rahm A. Bacterial plasmid-associated and chromosomal proteins have fundamentally different properties in protein interaction networks. Sci Rep 2022; 12:19203. [PMID: 36357451 PMCID: PMC9649638 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-20809-0] [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: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmids facilitate horizontal gene transfer, which enables the diversification of pathogens into new anatomical and environmental niches, implying that plasmid-encoded genes can cooperate well with chromosomal genes. We hypothesise that such mobile genes are functionally different to chromosomal ones due to this ability to encode proteins performing non-essential functions like antimicrobial resistance and traverse distinct host cells. The effect of plasmid-driven gene gain on protein-protein interaction network topology is an important question in this area. Moreover, the extent to which these chromosomally- and plasmid-encoded proteins interact with proteins from their own groups compared to the levels with the other group remains unclear. Here, we examined the incidence and protein-protein interactions of all known plasmid-encoded proteins across representative specimens from most bacteria using all available plasmids. We found that plasmid-encoded genes constitute ~ 0.65% of the total number of genes per bacterial sample, and that plasmid genes are preferentially associated with different species but had limited taxonomical power beyond this. Surprisingly, plasmid-encoded proteins had both more protein-protein interactions compared to chromosomal proteins, countering the hypothesis that genes with higher mobility rates should have fewer protein-level interactions. Nonetheless, topological analysis and investigation of the protein-protein interaction networks' connectivity and change in the number of independent components demonstrated that the plasmid-encoded proteins had limited overall impact in > 96% of samples. This paper assembled extensive data on plasmid-encoded proteins, their interactions and associations with diverse bacterial specimens that is available for the community to investigate in more detail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Downing
- grid.15596.3e0000000102380260School of Biotechnology, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland ,grid.63622.330000 0004 0388 7540Present Address: The Pirbright Institute, Pirbright, UK
| | - Alexander Rahm
- grid.449688.f0000 0004 0647 1487GAATI Lab, University of French Polynesia, Tahiti, French Polynesia
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28
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Li Z, Wang J, Gu C, Guo Y, Wu S. Marine bacteria-mediated abiotic-biotic coupling degradation mechanism of ibuprofen. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2022; 435:128960. [PMID: 35472552 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.128960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Knowledge on the behavior and fate of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) is poorly explored in marine aphotic environment. In this study, the degradation mechanism of a typical PPCPs-ibuprofen (IBP) by a ubiquitous marine Pseudoalteromonas sp. was investigated based on transcriptome and key enzymes analysis. More importantly, a novel enzymatic-nonenzymatic coupling degradation mechanism was uncovered for the first time, namely, the degradation of IBP was firstly initiated by extracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), then the intermediate (e.g.4-ethylresorcinol) was further degraded by intracellular enzymes. It was showed that biogenic •OH, O2•-and H2O2 were responsible for extracellular nonenzymatic degradation, in which IBP was degraded to 4-ethylresorcinol through hydrogenation, isobutyl moiety cleavage, oxidation and decarboxylation. 4-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase, homogentisate 1,2-dioxygenase, long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase, acetyl-CoA acyltransferase and enoyl-CoA hydratase were identified to be involved in intracellular degradation, leading 4-ethylresorcinol cracked and eventually mineralized. Ultimately, this novel degradation mechanism was demonstrated to be amino acids-driven through KEGG enrichment analysis and experimental data. Overall, our work uncovered a yet undiscovered abiotic-biotic coupling degradation mechanism in PPCPs biotransformation, thereby updating the conventional concept that contaminants transformation is solely accomplished by enzymes or non-enzymes, which can also provide new insights into PPCPs environmental behavior and fate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zelong Li
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering (Ministry of Education), School of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
| | - Jing Wang
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering (Ministry of Education), School of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China.
| | - Chen Gu
- Power China Huadong Engineering Corporation Limited, Hangzhou 311122, China
| | - Yali Guo
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering (Ministry of Education), School of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
| | - Shuo Wu
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering (Ministry of Education), School of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
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29
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Picazo DR, Werner A, Dagan T, Kupczok A. Pangenome evolution in environmentally transmitted symbionts of deep-sea mussels is governed by vertical inheritance. Genome Biol Evol 2022; 14:6613374. [PMID: 35731940 PMCID: PMC9260185 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evac098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbial pangenomes vary across species; their size and structure are determined by genetic diversity within the population and by gene loss and horizontal gene transfer (HGT). Many bacteria are associated with eukaryotic hosts where the host colonization dynamics may impact bacterial genome evolution. Host-associated lifestyle has been recognized as a barrier to HGT in parentally transmitted bacteria. However, pangenome evolution of environmentally acquired symbionts remains understudied, often due to limitations in symbiont cultivation. Using high-resolution metagenomics, here we study pangenome evolution of two co-occurring endosymbionts inhabiting Bathymodiolus brooksi mussels from a single cold seep. The symbionts, sulfur-oxidizing (SOX) and methane-oxidizing (MOX) gamma-proteobacteria, are environmentally acquired at an early developmental stage and individual mussels may harbor multiple strains of each symbiont species. We found differences in the accessory gene content of both symbionts across individual mussels, which are reflected by differences in symbiont strain composition. Compared to core genes, accessory genes are enriched in genome plasticity functions. We found no evidence for recent horizontal gene transfer between both symbionts. A comparison between the symbiont pangenomes revealed that the MOX population is less diverged and contains fewer accessory genes, supporting that the MOX association with B. brooksi is more recent in comparison to that of SOX. Our results show that the pangenomes of both symbionts evolved mainly by vertical inheritance. We conclude that genome evolution of environmentally transmitted symbionts that associate with individual hosts over their lifetime is affected by a narrow symbiosis where the frequency of HGT is constrained..
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Affiliation(s)
- Devani Romero Picazo
- Genomic Microbiology Group, Institute of General Microbiology, Christian-Albrechts University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Almut Werner
- Genomic Microbiology Group, Institute of General Microbiology, Christian-Albrechts University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Tal Dagan
- Genomic Microbiology Group, Institute of General Microbiology, Christian-Albrechts University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Anne Kupczok
- Genomic Microbiology Group, Institute of General Microbiology, Christian-Albrechts University, Kiel, Germany.,Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany.,Bioinformatics Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
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30
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Bruce J, Hoskisson PA. Editorial overview: Eco-evolutionary dynamics in microbiology comes of age. Curr Opin Microbiol 2022; 68:102171. [PMID: 35709553 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2022.102171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The intimate linkage of ecology and evolution is central to our understanding of biodiversity. The traditional perspective was to separate these fields based on timescales, but rapid, contemporary evolution is widely accepted and perhaps even more so in microbial systems. The study of eco-evolutionary dynamics is advancing at great pace and microorganisms are at the forefront of emerging paradigms, driven by conceptual and technological advances, such that we can move beyond the widely studied eco to evo aspects of the field and develop our understanding of how microorganisms shape virtually all processes on the planet (evo to eco).
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Affiliation(s)
- John Bruce
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, 161 Cathedral Street, Glasgow G4 0RE, UK.
| | - Paul A Hoskisson
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, 161 Cathedral Street, Glasgow G4 0RE, UK.
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31
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Coluzzi C, Garcillán-Barcia MP, de la Cruz F, Rocha EPC. Evolution of plasmid mobility: origin and fate of conjugative and non-conjugative plasmids. Mol Biol Evol 2022; 39:6593704. [PMID: 35639760 PMCID: PMC9185392 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msac115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Conjugation drives the horizontal transfer of adaptive traits across prokaryotes. One-fourth of the plasmids encode the functions necessary to conjugate autonomously, the others being eventually mobilizable by conjugation. To understand the evolution of plasmid mobility, we studied plasmid size, gene repertoires, and conjugation-related genes. Plasmid gene repertoires were found to vary rapidly in relation to the evolutionary rate of relaxases, for example, most pairs of plasmids with 95% identical relaxases have fewer than 50% of homologs. Among 249 recent transitions of mobility type, we observed a clear excess of plasmids losing the capacity to conjugate. These transitions are associated with even greater changes in gene repertoires, possibly mediated by transposable elements, including pseudogenization of the conjugation locus, exchange of replicases reducing the problem of incompatibility, and extensive loss of other genes. At the microevolutionary scale of plasmid taxonomy, transitions of mobility type sometimes result in the creation of novel taxonomic units. Interestingly, most transitions from conjugative to mobilizable plasmids seem to be lost in the long term. This suggests a source-sink dynamic, where conjugative plasmids generate nonconjugative plasmids that tend to be poorly adapted and are frequently lost. Still, in some cases, these relaxases seem to have evolved to become efficient at plasmid mobilization in trans, possibly by hijacking multiple conjugative systems. This resulted in specialized relaxases of mobilizable plasmids. In conclusion, the evolution of plasmid mobility is frequent, shapes the patterns of gene flow in bacteria, the dynamics of gene repertoires, and the ecology of plasmids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles Coluzzi
- Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris Cité, CNRS, UMR3525, Microbial Evolutionary Genomics, Paris, 75015, France
| | - M Pilar Garcillán-Barcia
- Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (IBBTEC), Universidad de Cantabria-CSIC, C/Albert Einstein 22, 39011, Santander, Spain
| | - Fernando de la Cruz
- Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (IBBTEC), Universidad de Cantabria-CSIC, C/Albert Einstein 22, 39011, Santander, Spain
| | - Eduardo P C Rocha
- Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris Cité, CNRS, UMR3525, Microbial Evolutionary Genomics, Paris, 75015, France
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32
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Becker P, Döhmann A, Wöhlbrand L, Thies D, Hinrichs C, Buschen R, Wünsch D, Neumann-Schaal M, Schomburg D, Winklhofer M, Reinhardt R, Rabus R. Complex and flexible catabolism in Aromatoleum aromaticum pCyN1. Environ Microbiol 2022; 24:3195-3211. [PMID: 35590445 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Revised: 05/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Large quantities of organic matter are continuously deposited, and (a)biotic gradients intersect in the soil-rhizosphere, where biodegradation contributes to the global cycles of elements. The betaproteobacterial genus Aromatoleum comprises cosmopolitan, facultative denitrifying degradation specialists. A. aromaticum pCyN1 stands out for anaerobically decomposing plant-derived monoterpenes in addition to monoaromatic hydrocarbons, polar aromatics and aliphatics. The catabolic network's structure and flexibility in A. aromaticum pCyN1 was studied across 34 growth conditions by superimposing proteome profiles onto the manually annotated 4.37 Mbp genome. Strain pCyN1 employs three fundamentally different enzymes for C-H-bond cleavage at the methyl groups of p-cymene/4-ethyltoluene, toluene and p-cresol, respectively. Regulation of degradation modules displayed substrate specificities ranging from narrow (toluene and cyclohexane carboxylate) via medium-wide (one module shared by p-cymene, 4-ethyltoluene, α-phellandrene, α-terpinene, γ-terpinene and limonene) to broad (central benzoyl-CoA pathway serving 16 aromatic substrates). Remarkably, three variants of ATP-dependent (class I) benzoyl-CoA reductase and four different β-oxidation routes establish a degradation hub that accommodates the substrate diversity. The respiratory system displayed several conspicuous profiles, e.g., the presence of nitrous oxide reductase under oxic and of low-affinity oxidase under anoxic conditions. Overall, nutritional versatility in conjunction with network regulation endow A. aromaticum pCyN1 with broad adaptability. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Becker
- General and Molecular Microbiology, Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM), Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Annemieke Döhmann
- General and Molecular Microbiology, Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM), Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Lars Wöhlbrand
- General and Molecular Microbiology, Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM), Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Daniela Thies
- Department of Microbiology, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany
| | - Christina Hinrichs
- General and Molecular Microbiology, Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM), Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Ramona Buschen
- General and Molecular Microbiology, Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM), Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Daniel Wünsch
- General and Molecular Microbiology, Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM), Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Meina Neumann-Schaal
- Research Group Bacterial Metabolism, Braunschweig Integrated Centre of Systems Biology (BRICS), Technische Universität Carolo-Wilhelmina zu Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany.,Department of Analytics, Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures GmbH, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Dietmar Schomburg
- Research Group Bacterial Metabolism, Braunschweig Integrated Centre of Systems Biology (BRICS), Technische Universität Carolo-Wilhelmina zu Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany.,Department of Bioinformatics and Biochemistry, Institute for Biochemistry, Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Technische Universität Carolo-Wilhelmina zu Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Michael Winklhofer
- Research Center Neurosensory Science, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany.,Sensory Biology of Animals, Institute of Biology and Environmental Sciences (IBU), Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Richard Reinhardt
- Max-Planck-Genome-Centre Cologne, Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Cologne, Germany
| | - Ralf Rabus
- General and Molecular Microbiology, Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM), Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
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33
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Dawood A, Algharib SA, Zhao G, Zhu T, Qi M, Delai K, Hao Z, Marawan MA, Shirani I, Guo A. Mycoplasmas as Host Pantropic and Specific Pathogens: Clinical Implications, Gene Transfer, Virulence Factors, and Future Perspectives. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:855731. [PMID: 35646746 PMCID: PMC9137434 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.855731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Mycoplasmas as economically important and pantropic pathogens can cause similar clinical diseases in different hosts by eluding host defense and establishing their niches despite their limited metabolic capacities. Besides, enormous undiscovered virulence has a fundamental role in the pathogenesis of pathogenic mycoplasmas. On the other hand, they are host-specific pathogens with some highly pathogenic members that can colonize a vast number of habitats. Reshuffling mycoplasmas genetic information and evolving rapidly is a way to avoid their host's immune system. However, currently, only a few control measures exist against some mycoplasmosis which are far from satisfaction. This review aimed to provide an updated insight into the state of mycoplasmas as pathogens by summarizing and analyzing the comprehensive progress, current challenge, and future perspectives of mycoplasmas. It covers clinical implications of mycoplasmas in humans and domestic and wild animals, virulence-related factors, the process of gene transfer and its crucial prospects, the current application and future perspectives of nanotechnology for diagnosing and curing mycoplasmosis, Mycoplasma vaccination, and protective immunity. Several questions remain unanswered and are recommended to pay close attention to. The findings would be helpful to develop new strategies for basic and applied research on mycoplasmas and facilitate the control of mycoplasmosis for humans and various species of animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Dawood
- The State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, (HZAU), Wuhan, China
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- Department of Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sadat City, Sadat City, Egypt
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, China
| | - Samah Attia Algharib
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- National Reference Laboratory of Veterinary Drug Residues (HZAU) and MAO Key Laboratory for Detection of Veterinary Drug Residues, HZAU, Wuhan, China
- Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Benha University, Toukh, Egypt
| | - Gang Zhao
- The State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, (HZAU), Wuhan, China
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, China
- Hubei International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Veterinary Epidemiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Tingting Zhu
- The State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, (HZAU), Wuhan, China
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, China
- Hubei International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Veterinary Epidemiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Mingpu Qi
- The State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, (HZAU), Wuhan, China
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, China
- Hubei International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Veterinary Epidemiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Kong Delai
- The State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, (HZAU), Wuhan, China
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhiyu Hao
- The State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, (HZAU), Wuhan, China
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, China
- Hubei International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Veterinary Epidemiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Marawan A. Marawan
- The State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, (HZAU), Wuhan, China
- Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Benha University, Toukh, Egypt
| | - Ihsanullah Shirani
- The State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, (HZAU), Wuhan, China
- Para-Clinic Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Jalalabad, Afghanistan
| | - Aizhen Guo
- The State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, (HZAU), Wuhan, China
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Wuhan, China
- Hubei International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Veterinary Epidemiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
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34
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Boumasmoud M, Dengler Haunreiter V, Schweizer TA, Meyer L, Chakrakodi B, Schreiber PW, Seidl K, Kühnert D, Kouyos RD, Zinkernagel AS. Genomic Surveillance of Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus faecium Reveals Spread of a Linear Plasmid Conferring a Nutrient Utilization Advantage. mBio 2022; 13:e0377121. [PMID: 35343787 PMCID: PMC9040824 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03771-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Healthcare-associated outbreaks of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREfm) are a worldwide problem with increasing prevalence. The genomic plasticity of this hospital-adapted pathogen contributes to its efficient spread despite infection control measures. Here, we aimed to identify the genomic and phenotypic determinants of health care-associated transmission of VREfm. We assessed the VREfm transmission networks at the tertiary-care University Hospital of Zurich (USZ) between October 2014 and February 2018 and investigated microevolutionary dynamics of this pathogen. We performed whole-genome sequencing for the 69 VREfm isolates collected during this time frame and assessed the population structure and variability of the vancomycin resistance transposon. Phylogenomic analysis allowed us to reconstruct transmission networks and to unveil external or wider transmission networks undetectable by routine surveillance. Notably, it unveiled a persistent clone, sampled 31 times over a 29-month period. Exploring the evolutionary dynamics of this clone and characterizing the phenotypic consequences revealed the spread of a variant with decreased daptomycin susceptibility and the acquired ability to utilize N-acetyl-galactosamine (GalNAc), one of the primary constituents of the human gut mucins. This nutrient utilization advantage was conferred by a novel plasmid, termed pELF_USZ, which exhibited a linear topology. This plasmid, which was harbored by two distinct clones, was transferable by conjugation. Overall, this work highlights the potential of combining epidemiological, functional genomic, and evolutionary perspectives to unveil adaptation strategies of VREfm. IMPORTANCE Sequencing microbial pathogens causing outbreaks has become a common practice to characterize transmission networks. In addition to the signal provided by vertical evolution, bacterial genomes harbor mobile genetic elements shared horizontally between clones. While macroevolutionary studies have revealed an important role of plasmids and genes encoding carbohydrate utilization systems in the adaptation of Enterococcus faecium to the hospital environment, mechanisms of dissemination and the specific function of many of these genetic determinants remain to be elucidated. Here, we characterize a plasmid providing a nutrient utilization advantage and show evidence for its clonal and horizontal spread at a local scale. Further studies integrating epidemiological, functional genomics, and evolutionary perspectives will be critical to identify changes shaping the success of this pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathilde Boumasmoud
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Vanina Dengler Haunreiter
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Tiziano A. Schweizer
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Lilly Meyer
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Bhavya Chakrakodi
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Peter W. Schreiber
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Kati Seidl
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Denise Kühnert
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Roger D. Kouyos
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Annelies S. Zinkernagel
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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Batstone RT. Genomes within genomes: nested symbiosis and its implications for plant evolution. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2022; 234:28-34. [PMID: 34761378 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Many important plant traits are products of nested symbiosis: mobile genetic elements (MGEs) are nested within microbes, which in turn, are nested within plants. Plant trait variation is therefore not only determined by the plant's genome, but also by loci within microbes and MGEs. Yet it remains unclear how interactions and coevolution within nested symbiosis impacts the evolution of plant traits. Despite the complexities of nested symbiosis, including nonadditive interactions, understanding the evolution of plant traits is facilitated by combining quantitative genetic and functional genomic approaches that explicitly consider sources of nested genetic variation (from loci in MGEs to microbiomes). Additionally, understanding coevolution within nested symbiosis enables us to design or select for MGEs that promote plant health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca T Batstone
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1206 West Gregory Drive, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
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Abstract
Mobile genetic elements (MGEs) drive bacterial evolution, alter gene availability within microbial communities, and facilitate adaptation to ecological niches. In natural systems, bacteria simultaneously possess or encounter multiple MGEs, yet their combined influences on microbial communities are poorly understood. Here, we investigate interactions among MGEs in the marine bacterium Sulfitobacter pontiacus. Two related strains, CB-D and CB-A, each harbor a single prophage. These prophages share high sequence identity with one another and an integration site within the host genome, yet these strains exhibit differences in “spontaneous” prophage induction (SPI) and consequent fitness. To better understand mechanisms underlying variation in SPI between these lysogens, we closed their genomes, which revealed that in addition to harboring different prophage genotypes, CB-A lacks two of the four large, low-copy-number plasmids possessed by CB-D. To assess the relative roles of plasmid content versus prophage genotype on host physiology, a panel of derivative strains varying in MGE content were generated. Characterization of these derivatives revealed a robust link between plasmid content and SPI, regardless of prophage genotype. Strains possessing all four plasmids had undetectable phage in cell-free lysates, while strains lacking either one plasmid (pSpoCB-1) or a combination of two plasmids (pSpoCB-2 and pSpoCB-4) produced high (>105 PFU/mL) phage titers. Homologous plasmid sequences were identified in related bacteria, and plasmid and phage genes were found to be widespread in Tara Oceans metagenomic data sets. This suggests that plasmid-dependent stabilization of prophages may be commonplace throughout the oceans. IMPORTANCE The consequences of prophage induction on the physiology of microbial populations are varied and include enhanced biofilm formation, conferral of virulence, and increased opportunity for horizontal gene transfer. These traits lead to competitive advantages for lysogenized bacteria and influence bacterial lifestyles in a variety of niches. However, biological controls of “spontaneous” prophage induction, the initiation of phage replication and phage-mediated cell lysis without an overt stressor, are not well understood. In this study, we observed a novel interaction between plasmids and prophages in the marine bacterium Sulfitobacter pontiacus. We found that loss of one or more distinct plasmids—which we show carry genes ubiquitous in the world’s oceans—resulted in a marked increase in prophage induction within lysogenized strains. These results demonstrate cross talk between different mobile genetic elements and have implications for our understanding of the lysogenic-lytic switches of prophages found not only in marine environments, but throughout all ecosystems.
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Huisman JS, Benz F, Duxbury SJN, de Visser JAGM, Hall AR, Fischer EAJ, Bonhoeffer S. Estimating plasmid conjugation rates: A new computational tool and a critical comparison of methods. Plasmid 2022; 121:102627. [PMID: 35271855 DOI: 10.1016/j.plasmid.2022.102627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Revised: 01/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Plasmids are important vectors for the spread of genes among diverse populations of bacteria. However, there is no standard method to determine the rate at which they spread horizontally via conjugation. Here, we compare commonly used methods on simulated and experimental data, and show that the resulting conjugation rate estimates often depend strongly on the time of measurement, the initial population densities, or the initial ratio of donor to recipient populations. Differences in growth rate, e.g. induced by sub-lethal antibiotic concentrations or temperature, can also significantly bias conjugation rate estimates. We derive a new 'end-point' measure to estimate conjugation rates, which extends the well-known Simonsen method to include the effects of differences in population growth and conjugation rates from donors and transconjugants. We further derive analytical expressions for the parameter range in which these approximations remain valid. We present an easy to use R package and web interface which implement both new and previously existing methods to estimate conjugation rates. The result is a set of tools and guidelines for accurate and comparable measurement of plasmid conjugation rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana S Huisman
- Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland; Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Fabienne Benz
- Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sarah J N Duxbury
- Laboratory of Genetics, Wageningen University, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | | | - Alex R Hall
- Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Egil A J Fischer
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
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Billane K, Harrison E, Cameron D, Brockhurst MA. Why do plasmids manipulate the expression of bacterial phenotypes? Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20200461. [PMID: 34839708 PMCID: PMC8628079 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Conjugative plasmids play an important role in bacterial evolution by transferring niche-adaptive traits between lineages, thus driving adaptation and genome diversification. It is increasingly clear, however, that in addition to this evolutionary role, plasmids also manipulate the expression of a broad range of bacterial phenotypes. In this review, we argue that the effects that plasmids have on the expression of bacterial phenotypes may often represent plasmid adaptations, rather than mere deleterious side effects. We begin by summarizing findings from untargeted omics analyses, which give a picture of the global effects of plasmid acquisition on host cells. Thereafter, because many plasmids are capable of both vertical and horizontal transmission, we distinguish plasmid-mediated phenotypic effects into two main classes based upon their potential fitness benefit to plasmids: (i) those that promote the competitiveness of the host cell in a given niche and thereby increase plasmid vertical transmission, and (ii) those that promote plasmid conjugation and thereby increase plasmid horizontal transmission. Far from being mere vehicles for gene exchange, we propose that plasmids often act as sophisticated genetic parasites capable of manipulating their bacterial hosts for their own benefit. This article is part of the theme issue ‘The secret lives of microbial mobile genetic elements’.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn Billane
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Ellie Harrison
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Duncan Cameron
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Michael A Brockhurst
- Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
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Hall JPJ, Harrison E, Baltrus DA. Introduction: the secret lives of microbial mobile genetic elements. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20200460. [PMID: 34839706 PMCID: PMC8628069 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- James P. J. Hall
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Ellie Harrison
- Department of Animal Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 1EA, UK
| | - David A. Baltrus
- School of Plant Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721‐0036, USA
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40
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Higher-order effects, continuous species interactions, and trait evolution shape microbial spatial dynamics. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:2020956119. [PMID: 34969851 PMCID: PMC8740587 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2020956119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Persistently diverse microbial communities are one of biology’s great puzzles. Using a modeling framework that accommodates high mutation rates and a continuum of species traits, we studied microbial communities in which antagonistic interactions occur via the production of, inhibition of, and vulnerability to toxins (e.g., antibiotics). Mutation size and mobility enhanced microbial diversity and temporal persistence to extraordinarily high levels. These findings—including the discovery that the duration of the transient phase in community assembly provides a guide to equilibrial diversity—highlight the potentially critical role that antagonistic interactions play in promoting the diversity of bacterial systems. Such interactions, together with resource-driven interactions and spatial structure, may drive the enigmatic levels of biodiversity seen in microbial systems. The assembly and maintenance of microbial diversity in natural communities, despite the abundance of toxin-based antagonistic interactions, presents major challenges for biological understanding. A common framework for investigating such antagonistic interactions involves cyclic dominance games with pairwise interactions. The incorporation of higher-order interactions in such models permits increased levels of microbial diversity, especially in communities in which antibiotic-producing, sensitive, and resistant strains coexist. However, most such models involve a small number of discrete species, assume a notion of pure cyclic dominance, and focus on low mutation rate regimes, none of which well represent the highly interlinked, quickly evolving, and continuous nature of microbial phenotypic space. Here, we present an alternative vision of spatial dynamics for microbial communities based on antagonistic interactions—one in which a large number of species interact in continuous phenotypic space, are capable of rapid mutation, and engage in both direct and higher-order interactions mediated by production of and resistance to antibiotics. Focusing on toxin production, vulnerability, and inhibition among species, we observe highly divergent patterns of diversity and spatial community dynamics. We find that species interaction constraints (rather than mobility) best predict spatiotemporal disturbance regimes, whereas community formation time, mobility, and mutation size best explain patterns of diversity. We also report an intriguing relationship among community formation time, spatial disturbance regimes, and diversity dynamics. This relationship, which suggests that both higher-order interactions and rapid evolution are critical for the origin and maintenance of microbial diversity, has broad-ranging links to the maintenance of diversity in other systems.
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Timmis K, Hallsworth JE. The darkest microbiome-a post-human biosphere. Microb Biotechnol 2022; 15:176-185. [PMID: 34843168 PMCID: PMC8719803 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.13976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Microbial technology is exceptional among human activities and endeavours in its range of applications that benefit humanity, even exceeding those of chemistry. What is more, microbial technologists are among the most creative scientists, and the scope of the field continuously expands as new ideas and applications emerge. Notwithstanding this diversity of applications, given the dire predictions for the fate of the surface biosphere as a result of current trajectories of global warming, the future of microbial biotechnology research must have a single purpose, namely to help secure the future of life on Earth. Everything else will, by comparison, be irrelevant. Crucially, microbes themselves play pivotal roles in climate (Cavicchioli et al., Nature Revs Microbiol 17: 569-586, 2019). To enable realization of their full potential in humanity's effort to survive, development of new and transformative global warming-relevant technologies must become the lynchpin of microbial biotechnology research and development. As a consequence, microbial biotechnologists must consider constraining their usual degree of freedom, and re-orienting their focus towards planetary-biosphere exigences. And they must actively seek alliances and synergies with others to get the job done as fast as humanly possible; they need to enthusiastically embrace and join the global effort, subordinating where necessary individual aspirations to the common good (the amazing speed with which new COVID-19 diagnostics and vaccines were developed and implemented demonstrates what is possible given creativity, singleness of purpose and funding). In terms of priorities, some will be obvious, others less so, with some only becoming revealed after dedicated effort yields new insights/opens new vistas. We therefore refrain from developing a priority list here. Rather, we consider what is likely to happen to the Earth's biosphere if we (and the rest of humanity) fail to rescue it. We do so with the aim of galvanizing the formulation and implementation of strategic and financial science policy decisions that will maximally stimulate the development of relevant new microbial technologies, and maximally exploit available technologies, to repair existing environmental damage and mitigate against future deterioration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth Timmis
- Institute of MicrobiologyTechnical University of BraunschweigBraunschweigGermany
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42
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Baquero F, Martínez JL, F. Lanza V, Rodríguez-Beltrán J, Galán JC, San Millán A, Cantón R, Coque TM. Evolutionary Pathways and Trajectories in Antibiotic Resistance. Clin Microbiol Rev 2021; 34:e0005019. [PMID: 34190572 PMCID: PMC8404696 DOI: 10.1128/cmr.00050-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Evolution is the hallmark of life. Descriptions of the evolution of microorganisms have provided a wealth of information, but knowledge regarding "what happened" has precluded a deeper understanding of "how" evolution has proceeded, as in the case of antimicrobial resistance. The difficulty in answering the "how" question lies in the multihierarchical dimensions of evolutionary processes, nested in complex networks, encompassing all units of selection, from genes to communities and ecosystems. At the simplest ontological level (as resistance genes), evolution proceeds by random (mutation and drift) and directional (natural selection) processes; however, sequential pathways of adaptive variation can occasionally be observed, and under fixed circumstances (particular fitness landscapes), evolution is predictable. At the highest level (such as that of plasmids, clones, species, microbiotas), the systems' degrees of freedom increase dramatically, related to the variable dispersal, fragmentation, relatedness, or coalescence of bacterial populations, depending on heterogeneous and changing niches and selective gradients in complex environments. Evolutionary trajectories of antibiotic resistance find their way in these changing landscapes subjected to random variations, becoming highly entropic and therefore unpredictable. However, experimental, phylogenetic, and ecogenetic analyses reveal preferential frequented paths (highways) where antibiotic resistance flows and propagates, allowing some understanding of evolutionary dynamics, modeling and designing interventions. Studies on antibiotic resistance have an applied aspect in improving individual health, One Health, and Global Health, as well as an academic value for understanding evolution. Most importantly, they have a heuristic significance as a model to reduce the negative influence of anthropogenic effects on the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- F. Baquero
- Department of Microbiology, Ramón y Cajal University Hospital, Ramón y Cajal Institute for Health Research (IRYCIS), Network Center for Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - J. L. Martínez
- National Center for Biotechnology (CNB-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - V. F. Lanza
- Department of Microbiology, Ramón y Cajal University Hospital, Ramón y Cajal Institute for Health Research (IRYCIS), Network Center for Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
- Central Bioinformatics Unit, Ramón y Cajal Institute for Health Research (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
| | - J. Rodríguez-Beltrán
- Department of Microbiology, Ramón y Cajal University Hospital, Ramón y Cajal Institute for Health Research (IRYCIS), Network Center for Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - J. C. Galán
- Department of Microbiology, Ramón y Cajal University Hospital, Ramón y Cajal Institute for Health Research (IRYCIS), Network Center for Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - A. San Millán
- National Center for Biotechnology (CNB-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - R. Cantón
- Department of Microbiology, Ramón y Cajal University Hospital, Ramón y Cajal Institute for Health Research (IRYCIS), Network Center for Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - T. M. Coque
- Department of Microbiology, Ramón y Cajal University Hospital, Ramón y Cajal Institute for Health Research (IRYCIS), Network Center for Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
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Brockhurst MA, Harrison E. Ecological and evolutionary solutions to the plasmid paradox. Trends Microbiol 2021; 30:534-543. [PMID: 34848115 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2021.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Revised: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The 'plasmid paradox' arises because, although plasmids are common features of bacterial genomes, theoretically they should not exist: rates of conjugation were believed insufficient to allow plasmids to persist by infectious transmission, whereas the costs of plasmid maintenance meant that plasmids should be purged by negative selection regardless of whether they encoded beneficial accessory traits because these traits should eventually be captured by the chromosome, enabling the loss of the redundant plasmid. In the decade since the plasmid paradox was described, new data and theory show that a range of ecological and evolutionary mechanisms operate in bacterial populations and communities to explain the widespread distribution and stable maintenance of plasmids. We conclude, therefore, that multiple solutions to the plasmid paradox are now well understood. The current challenge for the field, however, is to better understand how these solutions operate in natural bacterial communities to explain and predict the distribution of plasmids and the dynamics of the horizontal gene transfer that they mediate in bacterial (pan)genomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A Brockhurst
- Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine, and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK.
| | - Ellie Harrison
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
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44
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James C, Dixon R, Talbot L, James SJ, Williams N, Onarinde BA. Assessing the Impact of Heat Treatment of Food on Antimicrobial Resistance Genes and Their Potential Uptake by Other Bacteria-A Critical Review. Antibiotics (Basel) 2021; 10:1440. [PMID: 34943652 PMCID: PMC8698031 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics10121440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) is a global health concern. This study identifies and critically reviews the published evidence on whether cooking (heating) food to eliminate bacterial contamination induces sufficient damage to the functionality of ARGs. Overall, the review found that there is evidence in the literature that Antimicrobial Resistant (AMR) bacteria are no more heat resistant than non-AMR bacteria. Consequently, recommended heat treatments sufficient to kill non-AMR bacteria in food (70 °C for at least 2 min, or equivalent) should be equally effective in killing AMR bacteria. The literature shows there are several mechanisms through which functional genes from AMR bacteria could theoretically persist in heat-treated food and be transferred to other bacteria. The literature search found sparce published evidence on whether ARGs may actually persist in food after effective heat treatments, and whether functional genes can be transferred to other bacteria. However, three publications have demonstrated that functional ARGs in plasmids may be capable of persisting in foods after effective heat treatments. Given the global impact of AMR, there is clearly a need for further practical research on this topic to provide sufficient evidence to fully assess whether there is a risk to human health from the persistence of functional ARGs in heat-treated and cooked foods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian James
- Food Refrigeration & Process Engineering Research Centre (FRPERC), Grimsby Institute, Nuns Corner, Grimsby DN34 5BQ, UK; (L.T.); (S.J.J.)
- National Centre for Food Manufacturing (NCFM), University of Lincoln, Park Road, Holbeach PE12 7PT, UK;
| | - Ronald Dixon
- Joseph Banks Laboratories, School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Lincoln LN6 7DL, UK;
| | - Luke Talbot
- Food Refrigeration & Process Engineering Research Centre (FRPERC), Grimsby Institute, Nuns Corner, Grimsby DN34 5BQ, UK; (L.T.); (S.J.J.)
| | - Stephen J. James
- Food Refrigeration & Process Engineering Research Centre (FRPERC), Grimsby Institute, Nuns Corner, Grimsby DN34 5BQ, UK; (L.T.); (S.J.J.)
- National Centre for Food Manufacturing (NCFM), University of Lincoln, Park Road, Holbeach PE12 7PT, UK;
| | - Nicola Williams
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, Leahurst Campus, University of Liverpool, Neston CH64 7TE, UK;
| | - Bukola A. Onarinde
- National Centre for Food Manufacturing (NCFM), University of Lincoln, Park Road, Holbeach PE12 7PT, UK;
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Duxbury SJN, Alderliesten JB, Zwart MP, Stegeman A, Fischer EAJ, de Visser JAGM. Chicken gut microbiome members limit the spread of an antimicrobial resistance plasmid in Escherichia coli. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20212027. [PMID: 34727719 PMCID: PMC8564601 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.2027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmid-mediated antimicrobial resistance is a major contributor to the spread of resistance genes within bacterial communities. Successful plasmid spread depends upon a balance between plasmid fitness effects on the host and rates of horizontal transmission. While these key parameters are readily quantified in vitro, the influence of interactions with other microbiome members is largely unknown. Here, we investigated the influence of three genera of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) derived from the chicken gastrointestinal microbiome on the spread of an epidemic narrow-range ESBL resistance plasmid, IncI1 carrying blaCTX-M-1, in mixed cultures of isogenic Escherichia coli strains. Secreted products of LAB decreased E. coli growth rates in a genus-specific manner but did not affect plasmid transfer rates. Importantly, we quantified plasmid transfer rates by controlling for density-dependent mating opportunities. Parametrization of a mathematical model with our in vitro estimates illustrated that small fitness costs of plasmid carriage may tip the balance towards plasmid loss under growth conditions in the gastrointestinal tract. This work shows that microbial interactions can influence plasmid success and provides an experimental-theoretical framework for further study of plasmid transfer in a microbiome context.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jesse B. Alderliesten
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Mark P. Zwart
- Department of Microbial Ecology, The Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Arjan Stegeman
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Egil A. J. Fischer
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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46
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Uddin TM, Chakraborty AJ, Khusro A, Zidan BRM, Mitra S, Emran TB, Dhama K, Ripon MKH, Gajdács M, Sahibzada MUK, Hossain MJ, Koirala N. Antibiotic resistance in microbes: History, mechanisms, therapeutic strategies and future prospects. J Infect Public Health 2021; 14:1750-1766. [PMID: 34756812 DOI: 10.1016/j.jiph.2021.10.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 264] [Impact Index Per Article: 88.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Revised: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Antibiotics have been used to cure bacterial infections for more than 70 years, and these low-molecular-weight bioactive agents have also been used for a variety of other medicinal applications. In the battle against microbes, antibiotics have certainly been a blessing to human civilization by saving millions of lives. Globally, infections caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria are on the rise. Antibiotics are being used to combat diversified bacterial infections. Synthetic biology techniques, in combination with molecular, functional genomic, and metagenomic studies of bacteria, plants, and even marine invertebrates are aimed at unlocking the world's natural products faster than previous methods of antibiotic discovery. There are currently only few viable remedies, potential preventive techniques, and a limited number of antibiotics, thereby necessitating the discovery of innovative medicinal approaches and antimicrobial therapies. MDR is also facilitated by biofilms, which makes infection control more complex. In this review, we have spotlighted comprehensively various aspects of antibiotics viz. overview of antibiotics era, mode of actions of antibiotics, development and mechanisms of antibiotic resistance in bacteria, and future strategies to fight the emerging antimicrobial resistant threat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanvir Mahtab Uddin
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Dhaka, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh.
| | - Arka Jyoti Chakraborty
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Dhaka, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh.
| | - Ameer Khusro
- Research Department of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, Loyola College, Nungambakkam, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
| | - Bm Redwan Matin Zidan
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Dhaka, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh.
| | - Saikat Mitra
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Dhaka, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh.
| | - Talha Bin Emran
- Department of Pharmacy, BGC Trust University Bangladesh, Chittagong 4381, Bangladesh.
| | - Kuldeep Dhama
- Division of Pathology, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly 243122, Uttar Pradesh, India.
| | - Md Kamal Hossain Ripon
- Department of Pharmacy, Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University, Santosh, Tangail 1902, Bangladesh.
| | - Márió Gajdács
- Department of Oral Biology and Experimental Dental Research, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Szeged, 6720 Szeged, Hungary.
| | | | - Md Jamal Hossain
- Department of Pharmacy, State University of Bangladesh, 77 Satmasjid Road, Dhanmondi, Dhaka 1205, Bangladesh.
| | - Niranjan Koirala
- Department of Natural Products Research, Dr. Koirala Research Institute for Biotechnology and Biodiversity, Kathmandu 44600, Nepal.
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Dissection of Highly Prevalent qnrS1-Carrying IncX Plasmid Types in Commensal Escherichia coli from German Food and Livestock. Antibiotics (Basel) 2021; 10:antibiotics10101236. [PMID: 34680816 PMCID: PMC8532951 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics10101236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Revised: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmids are mobile genetic elements, contributing to the spread of resistance determinants by horizontal gene transfer. Plasmid-mediated quinolone resistances (PMQRs) are important determinants able to decrease the antimicrobial susceptibility of bacteria against fluoroquinolones and quinolones. The PMQR gene qnrS1, especially, is broadly present in the livestock and food sector. Thus, it is of interest to understand the characteristics of plasmids able to carry and disseminate this determinant and therewith contribute to the resistance development against this class of high-priority, critically important antimicrobials. Therefore, we investigated all commensal Escherichia (E.) coli isolates, with reduced susceptibility to quinolones, recovered during the annual zoonosis monitoring 2017 in the pork and beef production chain in Germany (n = 2799). Through short-read whole-genome sequencing and bioinformatics analysis, the composition of the plasmids and factors involved in their occurrence were determined. We analysed the presence and structures of predominant plasmids carrying the PMQR qnrS1. This gene was most frequently located on IncX plasmids. Although the E. coli harbouring these IncX plasmids were highly diverse in their sequence types as well as their phenotypic resistance profiles, the IncX plasmids-carrying the qnrS1 gene were rather conserved. Thus, we only detected three distinct IncX plasmids carrying qnrS1 in the investigated isolates. The IncX plasmids were assigned either to IncX1 or to IncX3. All qnrS1-carrying IncX plasmids further harboured a β-lactamase gene (bla). In addition, all investigated IncX plasmids were transmissible. Overall, we found highly heterogenic E. coli harbouring conserved IncX plasmids as vehicles for the most prevalent qnr gene qnrS1. These IncX plasmids may play an important role in the dissemination of those two resistance determinants and their presence, transfer and co-selection properties require a deeper understanding for a thorough risk assessment.
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Garoña A, Hülter NF, Romero Picazo D, Dagan T. Segregational drift constrains the evolutionary rate of prokaryotic plasmids. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 38:5610-5624. [PMID: 34550379 PMCID: PMC8662611 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msab283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmids are extrachromosomal genetic elements in prokaryotes that have been recognized as important drivers of microbial ecology and evolution. Plasmids are found in multiple copies inside their host cell where independent emergence of mutations may lead to intracellular genetic heterogeneity. The intracellular plasmid diversity is thus subject to changes upon cell division. However, the effect of plasmid segregation on plasmid evolution remains understudied. Here, we show that genetic drift during cell division—segregational drift—leads to the rapid extinction of novel plasmid alleles. We established a novel experimental approach to control plasmid allele frequency at the levels of a single cell and the whole population. Following the dynamics of plasmid alleles in an evolution experiment, we find that the mode of plasmid inheritance—random or clustered—is an important determinant of plasmid allele dynamics. Phylogenetic reconstruction of our model plasmid in clinical isolates furthermore reveals a slow evolutionary rate of plasmid-encoded genes in comparison to chromosomal genes. Our study provides empirical evidence that genetic drift in plasmid evolution occurs at multiple levels: the host cell and the population of hosts. Segregational drift has implications for the evolutionary rate heterogeneity of extrachromosomal genetic elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Garoña
- Institute of General Microbiology, Kiel University, Kiel, 24118, Germany
| | - Nils F Hülter
- Institute of General Microbiology, Kiel University, Kiel, 24118, Germany
| | | | - Tal Dagan
- Institute of General Microbiology, Kiel University, Kiel, 24118, Germany
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Traulsen A, Sieber M. Evolutionary ecology theory - microbial population structure. Curr Opin Microbiol 2021; 63:216-220. [PMID: 34428627 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2021.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Revised: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Microbial populations typically show a large degree of intra-population diversity. This diversity is intertwined with the structure of the population. Here, we discuss endogenous and exogenous drivers of population structure in microbes and how the population structure can affect evolutionary dynamics and vice versa. Endogenous structure, which can be genetic or demographic, is driven by the ecology and evolutionary dynamics within the population. Exogenous structure is typically driven by the spatial and temporal properties of the environment. A particular interesting case arises when also this exogenous structure experiences feedbacks from the microbial population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arne Traulsen
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, D-24306 Plön, Germany.
| | - Michael Sieber
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, D-24306 Plön, Germany
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Khare T, Anand U, Dey A, Assaraf YG, Chen ZS, Liu Z, Kumar V. Exploring Phytochemicals for Combating Antibiotic Resistance in Microbial Pathogens. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:720726. [PMID: 34366872 PMCID: PMC8334005 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.720726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance or microbial drug resistance is emerging as a serious threat to human healthcare globally, and the multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains are imposing major hurdles to the progression of drug discovery programs. Newer antibiotic-resistance mechanisms in microbes contribute to the inefficacy of the existing drugs along with the prolonged illness and escalating expenditures. The injudicious usage of the conventional and commonly available antibiotics in human health, hygiene, veterinary and agricultural practices is proving to be a major driver for evolution, persistence and spread of antibiotic-resistance at a frightening rate. The drying pipeline of new and potent antibiotics is adding to the severity. Therefore, novel and effective new drugs and innovative therapies to treat MDR infections are urgently needed. Apart from the different natural and synthetic drugs being tested, plant secondary metabolites or phytochemicals are proving efficient in combating the drug-resistant strains. Various phytochemicals from classes including alkaloids, phenols, coumarins, terpenes have been successfully demonstrated their inhibitory potential against the drug-resistant pathogens. Several phytochemicals have proved effective against the molecular determinants responsible for attaining the drug resistance in pathogens like membrane proteins, biofilms, efflux pumps and bacterial cell communications. However, translational success rate needs to be improved, but the trends are encouraging. This review highlights current knowledge and developments associated challenges and future prospects for the successful application of phytochemicals in combating antibiotic resistance and the resistant microbial pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tushar Khare
- Department of Biotechnology, Modern College of Arts, Science and Commerce (Savitribai Phule Pune University), Pune, India.,Department of Environmental Science, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, India
| | - Uttpal Anand
- Department of Life Sciences and the National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Abhijit Dey
- Ethnopharmacology and Natural Product Research Laboratory, Department of Life Sciences, Presidency University, Kolkata, India
| | - Yehuda G Assaraf
- The Fred Wyszkowski Cancer Research Laboratory, Department of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Zhe-Sheng Chen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, St. John's University, Queens, NY, United States
| | - Zhijun Liu
- Department of Microbiology, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
| | - Vinay Kumar
- Department of Biotechnology, Modern College of Arts, Science and Commerce (Savitribai Phule Pune University), Pune, India.,Department of Environmental Science, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, India
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