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Le VV, Tran QG, Ko SR, Oh HM, Ahn CY. Insights into cyanobacterial blooms through the lens of omics. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 934:173028. [PMID: 38723963 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2023] [Revised: 05/04/2024] [Accepted: 05/04/2024] [Indexed: 05/20/2024]
Abstract
Cyanobacteria are oxygen-producing photosynthetic bacteria that convert carbon dioxide into biomass upon exposure to sunlight. However, favorable conditions cause harmful cyanobacterial blooms (HCBs), which are the dense accumulation of biomass at the water surface or subsurface, posing threats to freshwater ecosystems and human health. Understanding the mechanisms underlying cyanobacterial bloom formation is crucial for effective management. In this regard, recent advancements in omics technologies have provided valuable insights into HCBs, which have raised expectations to develop more effective control methods in the near future. This literature review aims to present the genomic architecture, adaptive mechanisms, microbial interactions, and ecological impacts of HCBs through the lens of omics. Genomic analysis indicates that the genome plasticity of cyanobacteria has enabled their resilience and effective adaptation to environmental changes. Transcriptomic investigations have revealed that cyanobacteria use various strategies for adapting to environmental stress. Additionally, metagenomic and metatranscriptomic analyses have emphasized the significant role of the microbial community in regulating HCBs. Finally, we offer perspectives on potential opportunities for further research in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ve Van Le
- Cell factory Research Centre, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience & Biotechnology, 125 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | | | - So-Ra Ko
- Cell factory Research Centre, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience & Biotechnology, 125 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Hee-Mock Oh
- Cell factory Research Centre, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience & Biotechnology, 125 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea; Department of Environmental Biotechnology, KRIBB School of Biotechnology, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34113, Republic of Korea
| | - Chi-Yong Ahn
- Cell factory Research Centre, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience & Biotechnology, 125 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea; Department of Environmental Biotechnology, KRIBB School of Biotechnology, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34113, Republic of Korea.
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Chen Y, Ge P, Sun T, Feng J, Li G, Zhang J, Zhou J, Jiang J. Coexpression of Tail Fiber and Tail Protein Genes of the Cyanophage PP Using a Synthetic Genomics Approach Enhances the Salt Tolerance of Synechocystis PCC 6803. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0500922. [PMID: 37125914 PMCID: PMC10269589 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.05009-22] [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: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Cyanophages are viruses that specifically infect cyanobacteria and are capable of regulating the population densities and seasonal distributions of cyanobacteria. However, few studies have investigated the interactions between cyanophages and heterologous hosts, owing to the inability of cyanophages to infect heterologous cyanobacterial hosts. Here, a truncated artificial cyanophage genome, Syn-P4-8, was designed and assembled that contained 18 genes for viral coat assembly proteins but not genes related to host infection or DNA replication. Syn-P4-8 was transferred into the heterologous host Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 by conjugation. The growth of strain CS-02 carrying Syn-P4-8 was significantly better than that of the control strain when grown in medium containing 5% NaCl. Only two cyanophage genes, encoding the tail protein (open reading frame 25 [ORF25]) and the tail fiber protein (ORF26), were transcribed in Synechocystis PCC 6803 grown in BG11 medium supplemented with 5% NaCl. However, expression of either ORF25 or ORF26 alone could not recover this phenotype. In addition, transcriptomic analysis revealed the presence of 334 differentially expressed genes in CS-02 compared to the control strain, corresponding to 151 downregulated and 183 upregulated genes that may affect cyanobacterial salt tolerances. In this study, synthetic biology methods were used to strengthen our understanding of the interactions between cyanophage genes and heterologous hosts. IMPORTANCE We synthesized and assembled a truncated cyanophage genome called Syn-P4-8, containing 18 genes for viral coat assembly proteins, and transferred it into a nonhost strain, Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, to investigate interactions between Syn-P4-8 and Synechocystis PCC 6803. We found that coexpression of tail fiber and tail protein genes enhanced the salt tolerance of Synechocystis PCC 6803.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Chen
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Pingbo Ge
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Tao Sun
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- Center for Biosafety Research and Strategy, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Jia Feng
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Guorui Li
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Jiabao Zhang
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Jianting Zhou
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Jianlan Jiang
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- Frontier Science Center for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
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Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Coastal Viral Community Structure and Potential Biogeochemical Roles Affected by an Ulva prolifera Green Tide. mSystems 2023; 8:e0121122. [PMID: 36815859 PMCID: PMC10134843 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.01211-22] [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: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The world's largest macroalgal green tide, caused by Ulva prolifera, has resulted in serious consequences for coastal waters of the Yellow Sea, China. Although viruses are considered to be one of the key factors in controlling microalgal bloom demise, understanding of the relationship between viral communities and the macroalgal green tide is still poor. Here, a Qingdao coastal virome (QDCV) time-series data set was constructed based on the metagenomic analysis of 17 DNA viromes along three coastal stations of the Yellow Sea, covering different stages of the green tide from Julian days 165 to 271. A total of 40,076 viral contigs were detected and clustered into 28,058 viral operational taxonomic units (vOTUs). About 84% of the vOTUs could not be classified, and 62% separated from vOTUs in other ecosystems. Green tides significantly influenced the spatiotemporal dynamics of the viral community structure, diversity, and potential functions. For the classified vOTUs, the relative abundance of Pelagibacter phages declined with the arrival of the bloom and rebounded after the bloom, while Synechococcus and Roseobacter phages increased, although with a time lag from the peak of their hosts. More than 80% of the vOTUs reached peaks in abundance at different specific stages, and the viral peaks were correlated with specific hosts at different stages of the green tide. Most of the viral auxiliary metabolic genes (AMGs) were associated with carbon and sulfur metabolism and showed spatiotemporal dynamics relating to the degradation of the large amount of organic matter released by the green tide. IMPORTANCE To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to investigate the responses of viruses to the world's largest macroalgal green tide. It revealed the spatiotemporal dynamics of the unique viral assemblages and auxiliary metabolic genes (AMGs) following the variation and degradation of Ulva prolifera. These findings demonstrate a tight coupling between viral assemblages, and prokaryotic and eukaryotic abundances were influenced by the green tide.
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Zhu J, Yang F, Du K, Wei ZL, Wu QF, Chen Y, Li WF, Li Q, Zhou CZ. Phylogenomics of five Pseudanabaena cyanophages and evolutionary traces of horizontal gene transfer. ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOME 2023; 18:3. [PMID: 36639816 PMCID: PMC9837993 DOI: 10.1186/s40793-023-00461-5] [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: 08/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Along with the fast development and urbanization in developing countries, the waterbodies aside the growing cities become heavily polluted and highly eutrophic, thus leading to the seasonal outbreak of cyanobacterial bloom. Systematic isolation and characterization of freshwater cyanophages might provide a biological solution to control the awful blooms. However, genomic sequences and related investigations on the freshwater cyanophages remain very limited to date. RESULTS Following our recently reported five cyanophages Pam1~Pam5 from Lake Chaohu in China, here we isolated another five cyanophages, termed Pan1~Pan5, which infect the cyanobacterium Pseudanabaena sp. Chao 1811. Whole-genome sequencing showed that they all contain a double-stranded DNA genome of 37.2 to 72.0 kb in length, with less than half of the putative open reading frames annotated with known functions. Remarkably, the siphophage Pan1 encodes an auxiliary metabolic gene phoH and constitutes, together with the host, a complete queuosine modification pathway. Proteomic analyses revealed that although Pan1~Pan5 are distinct from each other in evolution, Pan1 and Pan3 are somewhat similar to our previously identified cyanophages Pam3 and Pam1 at the genomic level, respectively. Moreover, phylogenetic analyses suggested that Pan1 resembles the α-proteobacterial phage vB_DshS-R5C, revealing direct evidence for phage-mediated horizontal gene transfer between cyanobacteria and α-proteobacteria. CONCLUSION In addition to the previous reports of Pam1~Pam5, the present findings on Pan1~Pan5 largely enrich the library of reference freshwater cyanophages. The abundant genomic information provides a pool to identify novel genes and proteins of unknown function. Moreover, we found for the first time the evolutionary traces in the cyanophage that horizontal gene transfer might occur at the level of not only inter-species, but even inter-phylum. It indicates that the bacteriophage or cyanophage could be developed as a powerful tool for gene manipulation among various species or phyla.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Zhu
- School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, Anhui, China
| | - Feng Yang
- School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, Anhui, China
| | - Kang Du
- School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, Anhui, China
| | - Zi-Lu Wei
- School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, Anhui, China
| | - Qing-Fa Wu
- School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, Anhui, China
| | - Yuxing Chen
- School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, Anhui, China
| | - Wei-Fang Li
- School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, Anhui, China.
| | - Qiong Li
- School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, Anhui, China.
| | - Cong-Zhao Zhou
- School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, Anhui, China.
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Volk A, Lee J. Cyanobacterial blooms: A player in the freshwater environmental resistome with public health relevance? ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 216:114612. [PMID: 36272588 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.114612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cyanoHABs) are an ecological concern because of large ecosystem-disrupting blooms and a global public health concern because of the cyanotoxins produced by certain bloom-forming species. Another threat to global public health is the dissemination of antibiotic resistance (AR) in freshwater environmental reservoirs from anthropogenic sources, such as wastewater discharge and urban and agricultural runoff. In this study, cyanobacteria are now hypothesized to play a role in the environmental resistome. A non-systematic literature review of studies using molecular techniques (such as PCR and metagenomic sequencing) was conducted to explore indirect and direct ways cyanobacteria might contribute to environmental AR. Results show cyanobacteria can host antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and might promote the spread of ARGs in bacteria due to the significant contribution of mobile genetic elements (MGEs) located in genera such as Microcystis. However, cyanobacteria may promote or inhibit the spread of ARGs in environmental freshwater bacteria due to other factors as well. The purpose of this review is to 1) consider the role of cyanobacteria as AR hosts, since cyanoHABs are historically considered to be a separate problem from AR, and 2) to identify the knowledge gap in understanding cyanobacteria as ARG reservoirs. Cyanobacterial blooms, as well as other biotic (e.g. interactions with protists or cyanophages) and abiotic factors, should be studied further using advanced methods such as shotgun metagenomic and long read sequencing to clarify the extent of their functional ARGs/MGEs and influences on environmental AR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail Volk
- Environmental Sciences Graduate Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Jiyoung Lee
- College of Public Health, Division of Environmental Health Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States; Department of Food Science & Technology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States; Infectious Diseases Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States.
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Banerji A, Benesh K. Incorporating Microbial Species Interaction in Management of Freshwater Toxic Cyanobacteria: A Systems Science Challenge. AQUATIC ECOLOGY 2022; 3:570-587. [PMID: 36643215 PMCID: PMC9836389 DOI: 10.3390/ecologies3040042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Water resources are critically important, but also pose risks of exposure to toxic and pathogenic microbes. Increasingly, a concern is toxic cyanobacteria, which have been linked to the death and disease of humans, domesticated animals, and wildlife in freshwater systems worldwide. Management approaches successful at reducing cyanobacterial abundance and toxin production have tended to be short-term solutions applied on small scales (e.g., algaecide application) or solutions that entail difficult multifaceted investments (e.g., modification of landscape and land use to reduce nutrient inputs). However, implementation of these approaches can be undermined by microbial species interactions that (a) provide toxic cyanobacteria with protection against the method of control or (b) permit toxic cyanobacteria to be replaced by other significant microbial threats. Understanding these interactions is necessary to avoid such scenarios and can provide a framework for novel strategies to enhance freshwater resource management via systems science (e.g., pairing existing physical and chemical approaches against cyanobacteria with ecological strategies such as manipulation of natural enemies, targeting of facilitators, and reduction of benthic occupancy and recruitment). Here, we review pertinent examples of the interactions and highlight potential applications of what is known.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aabir Banerji
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research & Development, Duluth, MN 55804, USA
| | - Kasey Benesh
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science & Education, Oak Ridge, TN 37830, USA
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Du K, Yang F, Zhang JT, Yu RC, Deng Z, Li WF, Chen Y, Li Q, Zhou CZ. Comparative genomic analysis of five freshwater cyanophages and reference-guided metagenomic data mining. MICROBIOME 2022; 10:128. [PMID: 35974417 PMCID: PMC9382816 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-022-01324-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND As important producers using photosynthesis on Earth, cyanobacteria contribute to the oxygenation of atmosphere and the primary production of biosphere. However, due to the eutrophication of urban waterbodies and global warming, uncontrollable growth of cyanobacteria usually leads to the seasonal outbreak of cyanobacterial blooms. Cyanophages, a group of viruses that specifically infect and lyse cyanobacteria, are considered as potential environment-friendly agents to control the harmful blooms. Compared to the marine counterparts, only a few freshwater cyanophages have been isolated and genome sequenced to date, largely limiting their characterizations and applications. RESULTS Here, we isolated five freshwater cyanophages varying in tail morphology, termed Pam1~Pam5, all of which infect the cyanobacterium Pseudanabaena mucicola Chao 1806 that was isolated from the bloom-suffering Lake Chaohu in Anhui, China. The whole-genome sequencing showed that cyanophages Pam1~Pam5 all contain a dsDNA genome, varying in size from 36 to 142 Kb. Phylogenetic analyses suggested that Pam1~Pam5 possess different DNA packaging mechanisms and are evolutionarily distinct from each other. Notably, Pam1 and Pam5 have lysogeny-associated gene clusters, whereas Pam2 possesses 9 punctuated DNA segments identical to the CRISPR spacers in the host genome. Metagenomic data-based calculation of the relative abundance of Pam1~Pam5 at the Nanfei estuary towards the Lake Chaohu revealed that the short-tailed Pam1 and Pam5 account for the majority of the five cyanophages. Moreover, comparative analyses of the reference genomes of Pam1~Pam5 and previously reported cyanophages enabled us to identify three circular and seven linear contigs of virtual freshwater cyanophages from the metagenomic data of the Lake Chaohu. CONCLUSIONS We propose a high-throughput strategy to systematically identify cyanophages based on the currently available metagenomic data and the very limited reference genomes of experimentally isolated cyanophages. This strategy could be applied to mine the complete or partial genomes of unculturable bacteriophages and viruses. Transformation of the synthesized whole genomes of these virtual phages/viruses to proper hosts will enable the rescue of bona fide viral particles and eventually enrich the library of microorganisms that exist on Earth. Video abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kang Du
- School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, Anhui, China
| | - Feng Yang
- School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, Anhui, China
| | - Jun-Tao Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, Anhui, China
| | - Rong-Cheng Yu
- School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, Anhui, China
| | - Ziqing Deng
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083, China
- BGI-Beijing, BGI-Shenzhen, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Wei-Fang Li
- School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, Anhui, China
| | - Yuxing Chen
- School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, Anhui, China
| | - Qiong Li
- School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, Anhui, China.
| | - Cong-Zhao Zhou
- School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, Anhui, China.
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Antosiak A, Šulčius S, Malec P, Tokodi N, Łobodzińska A, Dziga D. Cyanophage infections reduce photosynthetic activity and expression of CO 2 fixation genes in the freshwater bloom-forming cyanobacterium Aphanizomenon flos-aquae. HARMFUL ALGAE 2022; 116:102215. [PMID: 35710200 DOI: 10.1016/j.hal.2022.102215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Revised: 02/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Cyanobacteria play a significant role in ecosystem functioning as photosynthetic and CO2 fixing microorganisms. Whether and to what extent cyanophages alter these carbon and energy cycles in their cyanobacterial hosts is still poorly understood. In this study, we investigated changes in photosynthetic activity (PSII), expression of genes associated with the light phase of photosynthesis (psbA, petA, ndhK) and carbon metabolism (rbcL, zwf) as well as intracellular ATP and NADHP concentrations in freshwater bloom-forming filamentous cyanobacterium Aphanizomenon flos-aquae infected by cyanophage vB_AphaS-CL131. We found that PSII activity and expression level of rbcL genes, indicating potential for CO2 fixation, had decreased in response to cyanophage adsorption and DNA injection. During the period of viral DNA replication and assembly, PSII performance and gene expression remained at this decreased level and did not change significantly, indicating lack of transcriptional shutdown by the cyanophage. Combined, these observations suggest that although there is little to no interference between cyanophage DNA replication, host transcription and cellular metabolism, A. flos-aquae underwent a physiological state-shift toward lower efficiency of carbon and energy cycling. This further suggest potential cascading effect for co-occurring non-infected members of the microbial community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Antosiak
- Laboratory of Metabolomics, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30387 Krakow, Poland.
| | - Sigitas Šulčius
- Laboratory of Algology and Microbial Ecology, Nature Research Centre, Akademijos str. 2, 08412 Vilnius, Lithuania.
| | - Przemysław Malec
- Department of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30387 Krakow, Poland.
| | - Nada Tokodi
- Laboratory of Metabolomics, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30387 Krakow, Poland; Department of Biology and Ecology, University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Sciences, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 3, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia.
| | - Antonia Łobodzińska
- Laboratory of Metabolomics, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30387 Krakow, Poland.
| | - Dariusz Dziga
- Laboratory of Metabolomics, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30387 Krakow, Poland.
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Zhang D, He Y, Gin KYH. Genomic Characterization of a Novel Freshwater Cyanophage Reveals a New Lineage of Cyanopodovirus. Front Microbiol 2022; 12:768868. [PMID: 35095789 PMCID: PMC8790148 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.768868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cyanobacteria are one of the dominant autotrophs in tropical freshwater communities, yet phages infecting them remain poorly characterized. Here we present the characterization of cyanophage S-SRP02, isolated from a tropical freshwater lake in Singapore, which infects Synechococcus sp. Strain SR-C1 isolated from the same lake. S-SRP02 represents a new evolutionary lineage of cyanophage. Out of 47 open reading frames (ORFs), only 20 ORFs share homology with genes encoding proteins of known function. There is lack of auxiliary metabolic genes which was commonly found as core genes in marine cyanopodoviruses. S-SRP02 also harbors unique structural genes highly divergent from other cultured phages. Phylogenetic analysis and viral proteomic tree further demonstrate the divergence of S-SRP02 from other sequenced phage isolates. Nonetheless, S-SRP02 shares synteny with phage genes of uncultured phages obtained from the Mediterranean Sea deep chlorophyll maximum fosmids, indicating the ecological importance of S-SRP02 and its related viruses. This is further supported by metagenomic mapping of environmental viral metagenomic reads onto the S-SRP02 genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Zhang
- NUS Environmental Research Institute (E2S2-CREATE), National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yiliang He
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Karina Yew-Hoong Gin
- NUS Environmental Research Institute (E2S2-CREATE), National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
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Laloum E, Cattan-Tsaushu E, Schwartz DA, Shaalan H, Enav H, Kolan D, Avrani S. Isolation and characterization of a novel Lambda-like phage infecting the bloom-forming cyanobacteria Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii. Environ Microbiol 2022; 24:2435-2448. [PMID: 35049139 PMCID: PMC9303873 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii is a central bloom‐forming cyanobacteria. However, despite its ecological significance, little is known of its interactions with the phages that infect it. Currently, only a single sequenced genome of a Cylindrospermopsis‐infecting phage is publicly available. Here we describe the isolation and characterization of Cr‐LKS3, a second phage infecting Cylindrospermopsis. Cr‐LKS3 is a siphovirus with a higher genome similarity to prophages within heterotrophic bacteria genomes than to any other cyanophage/cyano‐prophage, suggesting that it represents a novel cyanophage group. The function, order and orientation of the 72 genes in the Cr‐LKS3 genome are highly similar to those of Escherichia virus Lambda (hereafter Lambda), despite the very low sequence similarity between these phages, showing high evolutionary convergence despite the substantial difference in host characteristics. Similarly to Lambda, the genome of Cr‐LKS3 contains various genes that are known to be central to lysogeny, suggesting it can enter a lysogenic cycle. Cr‐LKS3 has a unique ability to infect a host with a dramatically different GC content, without carrying any tRNA genes to compensate for this difference. This ability, together with its potential lysogenic lifestyle shed light on the complex interactions between C. raciborskii and its phages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuelle Laloum
- Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology and The Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Esther Cattan-Tsaushu
- Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology and The Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | | | - Hanaa Shaalan
- Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology and The Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Hagay Enav
- Department of Microbiome Science, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Dikla Kolan
- Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology and The Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Sarit Avrani
- Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology and The Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
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Novel Freshwater Cyanophages Provide New Insights into Evolutionary Relationships between Freshwater and Marine Cyanophages. Microbiol Spectr 2021; 9:e0059321. [PMID: 34585945 PMCID: PMC8557907 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00593-21] [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] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Cyanobacteria and cyanophages are present widely in both freshwater and marine environments. However, freshwater cyanophages remain unknown largely due to the small numbers of cyanophage isolates despite their ecological and environmental significance. In this study, we present the characterization of two novel lytic freshwater cyanophages isolated from a tropical inland lake in Singapore, namely, cyanopodovirus S-SRP01 and cyanomyovirus S-SRM01, infecting two different strains of Synechococcus spp. Functional annotation of S-SRP01 and S-SRM01 genomes revealed a high degree of homology with marine cyanophages. Phylogenetic trees of concatenated genes and whole-genome alignment provided further evidence that S-SRP01 is close evolutionarily to marine cyanopodoviruses, while S-SRM01 is evolutionarily close to marine cyanomyoviruses. Few genetic similarities between freshwater and marine cyanophages have been identified in previous studies. The isolation of S-SRP01 and S-SRM01 expand current knowledge on freshwater cyanophages infecting Synechococcus spp. Their high degree of gene sharing provides new insights into the evolutionary relationships between freshwater and marine cyanophages. This relatedness is further supported by the discovery of similar phenomenon from other freshwater viral metagenomes. IMPORTANCE This study expands the current knowledge on freshwater cyanophage isolates and cyanophage genetic diversity, indicating that freshwater and marine cyanophages infecting Synechococcus spp. may share close genetic similarity and evolutionary relationships.
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Naknaen A, Suttinun O, Surachat K, Khan E, Pomwised R. A Novel Jumbo Phage PhiMa05 Inhibits Harmful Microcystis sp. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:660351. [PMID: 33959116 PMCID: PMC8093824 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.660351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Microcystis poses a concern because of its potential contribution to eutrophication and production of microcystins (MCs). Phage treatment has been proposed as a novel biocontrol method for Microcystis. Here, we isolated a lytic cyanophage named PhiMa05 with high efficiency against MCs-producing Microcystis strains. Its burst size was large, with approximately 127 phage particles/infected cell, a short latent period (1 day), and high stability to broad salinity, pH and temperature ranges. The PhiMa05 structure was composed of an icosahedral capsid (100 nm) and tail (120 nm), suggesting that the PhiMa05 belongs to the Myoviridae family. PhiMa05 inhibited both planktonic and aggregated forms of Microcystis in a concentration-dependent manner. The lysis of Microcystis resulted in a significant reduction of total MCs compared to the uninfected cells. A genome analysis revealed that PhiMa05 is a double-stranded DNA virus with a 273,876 bp genome, considered a jumbo phage. Out of 254 predicted open reading frames (ORFs), only 54 ORFs were assigned as putative functional proteins. These putative proteins are associated with DNA metabolisms, structural proteins, host lysis and auxiliary metabolic genes (AMGs), while no lysogenic, toxin and antibiotic resistance genes were observed in the genome. The AMGs harbored in the phage genome are known to be involved in energy metabolism [photosynthesis and tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA)] and nucleotide biosynthesis genes. Their functions suggested boosting and redirecting host metabolism during viral infection. Comparative genome analysis with other phages in the database indicated that PhiMa05 is unique. Our study highlights the characteristics and genome analysis of a novel jumbo phage, PhiMa05. PhiMa05 is a potential phage for controlling Microcystis bloom and minimizing MC occurrence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ampapan Naknaen
- Environmental Assessment and Technology for Hazardous Waste Management Research Center, Faculty of Environmental Management, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Thailand
| | - Oramas Suttinun
- Environmental Assessment and Technology for Hazardous Waste Management Research Center, Faculty of Environmental Management, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Thailand
- Center of Excellence on Hazardous Substance Management (HSM), Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Komwit Surachat
- Division of Computational Science, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Thailand
- Molecular Evolution and Computational Biology Research Unit, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Thailand
| | - Eakalak Khan
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, United States
| | - Rattanaruji Pomwised
- Division of Biological Science, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Thailand
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Occurrence and diversity of viruses associated with cyanobacterial communities in a Brazilian freshwater reservoir. Braz J Microbiol 2021; 52:773-785. [PMID: 33791954 DOI: 10.1007/s42770-021-00473-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
As part of the phytoplankton of marine and freshwater environments around the world, cyanobacteria interact with viruses (cyanophages) that affect their abundance and diversity. Investigations focusing on cyanophages co-occurring with freshwater cyanobacteria are scarce, particularly in Brazil. The aim of this study was to assess the diversity of cyanophages associated with a Microcystis-dominated cyanobacterial bloom in a tropical reservoir. Samples were processed as viral fractions of water and cellular fractions, and temporal fluctuations in the abundance of Ma-LMM01-type cyanophages and their Microcystis hosts were determined by qPCR. We applied shotgun metagenomics to obtain a wider characterization of the cyanophage community. During the study period, Microcystis gene copies were quantified in all cellular fractions, and the copy number of the Ma-LMM01 phage gene tended to increase with host abundance. Metagenomic analysis demonstrated that Caudovirales was the major viral order associated with the cyanophage families Myoviridae (34-88%), Podoviridae (3-42%), and Siphoviridae (6-23%). The metagenomic analysis results confirmed the presence of Microcystis cyanophages in both viral and cellular fractions and demonstrated a high relative abundance of picocyanobacteria-related viruses and Prochlorococcus (36-52%) and Synechococcus (37-50%) phages. For other main cyanobacterial genera, no related cyanophages were identified, which was probably due to the scarce representation of cyanophage sequences in databanks. Thus, the studied reservoir hosted a diverse cyanophage community with a remarkable contribution of phages related to picoplanktonic cyanobacteria. These results provide insights that motivate future sequencing efforts to assess cyanophage diversity and recover complete genomes.
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