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Serian D, Churin Y, Hammerl JA, Rohde M, Jung A, Müller A, Yue M, Kehrenberg C. Characterization of Temperate LPS-Binding Bordetella avium Phages That Lack Superinfection Immunity. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0370222. [PMID: 37125905 PMCID: PMC10269795 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.03702-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Bordetella avium causes a highly infectious upper respiratory tract disease in turkeys and other poultry with high economic losses. Considering the antimicrobial resistance crisis, bacteriophages (phages) may be an alternative approach for treating bacterial infections such as bordetellosis. Here, we describe seven B. avium phages, isolated from drinking water and feces from chicken and turkey farms. They showed strong bacteriolytic activity with a broad host range and used lipopolysaccharides (LPS) as a host receptor for their adsorption. All phages are myoviruses based on their structure observed by transmission electron microscopy. Genome sequence analyses revealed genome assembly sizes ranging from 39,087 to 43,144 bp. Their permutated genomes were organized colinearly, with a conserved module order, and were packed according to a predicted headful packing strategy. Notably, they contained genes encoding putative markers of lysogeny, indicative of temperate phages, despite their lytic phenotype. Further investigation revealed that the phages could indeed undergo a lysogenic life cycle with varying frequency. However, the lysogenic bacteria were still susceptible to superinfection with the same phages. This lack of stable superinfection immunity after lysogenization appears to be a characteristic feature of B. avium phages, which is favorable in terms of a potential therapeutic use of phages for the treatment of avian bordetellosis. IMPORTANCE To maintain the effectiveness of antibiotics over the long term, alternatives to treat infectious diseases are urgently needed. Therefore, phages have recently come back into focus as they can specifically infect and lyse bacteria and are naturally occurring. However, there is little information on phages that can infect pathogenic bacteria from animals, such as the causative agent of bordetellosis of poultry, B. avium. Therefore, in this study, B. avium phages were isolated and comprehensively characterized, including whole-genome analysis. Although phenotypically the phages were thought to undergo a lytic cycle, we demonstrated that they undergo a lysogenic phase, but that infection does not confer stable host superinfection immunity. These findings provide important information that could be relevant for potential biocontrol of avian bordetellosis by using phage therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorothee Serian
- Institute for Veterinary Food Science, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Yury Churin
- Institute for Veterinary Food Science, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Jens André Hammerl
- Department Biological Safety, German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Berlin, Germany
| | - Manfred Rohde
- Central Facility for Microscopy, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research GmbH, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Arne Jung
- Clinic for Poultry, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover Foundation, Hannover, Germany
| | - Anja Müller
- Institute for Veterinary Food Science, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Min Yue
- Institute of Preventive Veterinary Science and Department of Veterinary Medicine, Zhejiang University College of Animal Sciences, Hangzhou, China
- Hainan Institute of Zhejiang University, Sanya, China
| | - Corinna Kehrenberg
- Institute for Veterinary Food Science, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
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2
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Kumar V, Kashyap P, Kumar S, Thakur V, Kumar S, Singh D. Multiple Adaptive Strategies of Himalayan Iodobacter sp. PCH194 to High-Altitude Stresses. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:881873. [PMID: 35875582 PMCID: PMC9298515 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.881873] [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] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial adaption to the multiple stressed environments of high-altitude niches in the Himalayas is intriguing and is of considerable interest to biotechnologists. Previously, we studied the culturable and unculturable metagenome microbial diversity from glacial and kettle lakes in the Western Himalayas. In this study, we explored the adaptive strategies of a unique Himalayan eurypsychrophile Iodobacter sp. PCH194, which can synthesize polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) and violacein pigment. Whole-genome sequencing and analysis of Iodobacter sp. PCH194 (4.58 Mb chromosome and three plasmids) revealed genetic traits associated with adaptive strategies for cold/freeze, nutritional fluctuation, defense against UV, acidic pH, and the kettle lake's competitive environment. Differential proteome analysis suggested the adaptive role of chaperones, ribonucleases, secretion systems, and antifreeze proteins under cold stress. Antifreeze activity inhibiting the ice recrystallization at −9°C demonstrated the bacterium's survival at subzero temperature. The bacterium stores carbon in the form of PHB under stress conditions responding to nutritional fluctuations. However, violacein pigment protects the cells from UV radiation. Concisely, genomic, proteomic, and physiological studies revealed the multiple adaptive strategies of Himalayan Iodobacter to survive the high-altitude stresses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijay Kumar
- Biotechnology Division, CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, Palampur, India
| | - Prakriti Kashyap
- Biotechnology Division, CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, Palampur, India
| | - Subhash Kumar
- Biotechnology Division, CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, Palampur, India.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR-Human Resource Development Centre (CSIR-HRDC), Ghaziabad, India
| | - Vikas Thakur
- Biotechnology Division, CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, Palampur, India.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR-Human Resource Development Centre (CSIR-HRDC), Ghaziabad, India
| | - Sanjay Kumar
- Biotechnology Division, CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, Palampur, India
| | - Dharam Singh
- Biotechnology Division, CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, Palampur, India.,Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), CSIR-Human Resource Development Centre (CSIR-HRDC), Ghaziabad, India
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3
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Visnapuu A, Van der Gucht M, Wagemans J, Lavigne R. Deconstructing the Phage-Bacterial Biofilm Interaction as a Basis to Establish New Antibiofilm Strategies. Viruses 2022; 14:v14051057. [PMID: 35632801 PMCID: PMC9145820 DOI: 10.3390/v14051057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The bacterial biofilm constitutes a complex environment that endows the bacterial community within with an ability to cope with biotic and abiotic stresses. Considering the interaction with bacterial viruses, these biofilms contain intrinsic defense mechanisms that protect against phage predation; these mechanisms are driven by physical, structural, and metabolic properties or governed by environment-induced mutations and bacterial diversity. In this regard, horizontal gene transfer can also be a driver of biofilm diversity and some (pro)phages can function as temporary allies in biofilm development. Conversely, as bacterial predators, phages have developed counter mechanisms to overcome the biofilm barrier. We highlight how these natural systems have previously inspired new antibiofilm design strategies, e.g., by utilizing exopolysaccharide degrading enzymes and peptidoglycan hydrolases. Next, we propose new potential approaches including phage-encoded DNases to target extracellular DNA, as well as phage-mediated inhibitors of cellular communication; these examples illustrate the relevance and importance of research aiming to elucidate novel antibiofilm mechanisms contained within the vast set of unknown ORFs from phages.
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4
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Skliros D, Karpouzis E, Kalloniati C, Katharios P, Flemetakis E. Comparative genomic analysis of dwarf Vibrio myoviruses defines a conserved gene cluster for successful phage infection. Arch Virol 2022; 167:501-516. [PMID: 35000006 DOI: 10.1007/s00705-021-05340-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Tailed bacteriophages have been at the center of attention, not only for their ability to infect and kill pathogenic bacteria but also due to their peculiar and intriguing complex contractile tail structure. Tailed bacteriophages with contractile tails are known to have a Myoviridae morphotype and are members of the order Caudovirales. Large bacteriophages with a genome larger than 150 kbp have been studied for their ability to use multiple infection and lysis strategies to replicate more efficiently. On the other hand, smaller bacteriophages with fewer genes are represented in the GenBank database in greater numbers, and have several genes with unknown function. Isolation and molecular characterization of a newly reported bacteriophage named Athena1 revealed that it is a strongly lytic bacteriophage with a genome size of 39,826 bp. This prompted us to perform a comparative genomic analysis of Vibrio myoviruses with a genome size of no more than 50 kbp. The results revealed a pattern of genomic organization that includes sets of genes responsible for virion morphogenesis, replication/recombination of DNA, and lysis/lysogeny switching. By studying phylogenetic gene markers, we were able to draw conclusions about evolutionary events that shaped the genomic mosaicism of these phages, pinpointing the importance of a conserved organization of the genomic region encoding the baseplate protein for successful infection of Gram-negative bacteria. In addition, we propose the creation of new genera for dwarf Vibrio myoviruses. Comparative genomics of phages infecting aquatic bacteria could provide information that is useful for combating fish pathogens in aquaculture, using novel strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimitrios Skliros
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied Biology and Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Efthymios Karpouzis
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied Biology and Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Chrysanthi Kalloniati
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied Biology and Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Pantelis Katharios
- Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology, and Aquaculture, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Emmanouil Flemetakis
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied Biology and Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, Athens, Greece. .,EU-CONEXUS European University, Athens, Greece.
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5
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Higgins KV, Woodie LN, Hallowell H, Greene MW, Schwartz EH. Integrative Longitudinal Analysis of Metabolic Phenotype and Microbiota Changes During the Development of Obesity. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:671926. [PMID: 34414128 PMCID: PMC8370388 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.671926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Obesity has increased at an alarming rate over the past two decades in the United States. In addition to increased body mass, obesity is often accompanied by comorbidities such as Type II Diabetes Mellitus and metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease, with serious impacts on public health. Our understanding of the role the intestinal microbiota in obesity has rapidly advanced in recent years, especially with respect to the bacterial constituents. However, we know little of when changes in these microbial populations occur as obesity develops. Further, we know little about how other domains of the microbiota, namely bacteriophage populations, are affected during the progression of obesity. Our goal in this study was to monitor changes in the intestinal microbiome and metabolic phenotype following western diet feeding. We accomplished this by collecting metabolic data and fecal samples for shotgun metagenomic sequencing in a mouse model of diet-induced obesity. We found that after two weeks of consuming a western diet (WD), the animals weighed significantly more and were less metabolically stable than their chow fed counterparts. The western diet induced rapid changes in the intestinal microbiome with the most pronounced dissimilarity at 12 weeks. Our study highlights the dynamic nature of microbiota composition following WD feeding and puts these events in the context of the metabolic status of the mammalian host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keah V Higgins
- Department of Biological Sciences Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States
| | - Lauren N Woodie
- Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Hospitality Management, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States
| | - Haley Hallowell
- Department of Biological Sciences Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States
| | - Michael W Greene
- Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Hospitality Management, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States
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6
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Schroven K, Aertsen A, Lavigne R. Bacteriophages as drivers of bacterial virulence and their potential for biotechnological exploitation. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2021; 45:5902850. [PMID: 32897318 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuaa041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteria-infecting viruses (phages) and their hosts maintain an ancient and complex relationship. Bacterial predation by lytic phages drives an ongoing phage-host arms race, whereas temperate phages initiate mutualistic relationships with their hosts upon lysogenization as prophages. In human pathogens, these prophages impact bacterial virulence in distinct ways: by secretion of phage-encoded toxins, modulation of the bacterial envelope, mediation of bacterial infectivity and the control of bacterial cell regulation. This review builds the argument that virulence-influencing prophages hold extensive, unexplored potential for biotechnology. More specifically, it highlights the development potential of novel therapies against infectious diseases, to address the current antibiotic resistance crisis. First, designer bacteriophages may serve to deliver genes encoding cargo proteins which repress bacterial virulence. Secondly, one may develop small molecules mimicking phage-derived proteins targeting central regulators of bacterial virulence. Thirdly, bacteria equipped with phage-derived synthetic circuits which modulate key virulence factors could serve as vaccine candidates to prevent bacterial infections. The development and exploitation of such antibacterial strategies will depend on the discovery of other prophage-derived, virulence control mechanisms and, more generally, on the dissection of the mutualistic relationship between temperate phages and bacteria, as well as on continuing developments in the synthetic biology field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaat Schroven
- Laboratory of Gene Technology, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 21, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Abram Aertsen
- Laboratory of Food Microbiology, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 23, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Rob Lavigne
- Laboratory of Gene Technology, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 21, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
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7
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Skurnik M, Jaakkola S, Mattinen L, von Ossowski L, Nawaz A, Pajunen MI, Happonen LJ. Bacteriophages fEV-1 and fD1 Infect Yersinia pestis. Viruses 2021; 13:1384. [PMID: 34372590 PMCID: PMC8309999 DOI: 10.3390/v13071384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Revised: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophages vB_YpeM_fEV-1 (fEV-1) and vB_YpeM_fD1 (fD1) were isolated from incoming sewage water samples in Turku, Finland, using Yersinia pestis strains EV76 and KIM D27 as enrichment hosts, respectively. Genomic analysis and transmission electron microscopy established that fEV-1 is a novel type of dwarf myovirus, while fD1 is a T4-like myovirus. The genome sizes are 38 and 167 kb, respectively. To date, the morphology and genome sequences of some dwarf myoviruses have been described; however, a proteome characterization such as the one presented here, has currently been lacking for this group of viruses. Notably, fEV-1 is the first dwarf myovirus described for Y. pestis. The host range of fEV-1 was restricted strictly to Y. pestis strains, while that of fD1 also included other members of Enterobacterales such as Escherichia coli and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis. In this study, we present the life cycles, genomes, and proteomes of two Yersinia myoviruses, fEV-1 and fD1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikael Skurnik
- Department of Bacteriology and Immunology, Medicum, Human Microbiome Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00290 Helsinki, Finland; (S.J.); (L.M.); (A.N.); (M.I.P.)
- Division of Clinical Microbiology, HUSLAB, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, 00290 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Salla Jaakkola
- Department of Bacteriology and Immunology, Medicum, Human Microbiome Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00290 Helsinki, Finland; (S.J.); (L.M.); (A.N.); (M.I.P.)
| | - Laura Mattinen
- Department of Bacteriology and Immunology, Medicum, Human Microbiome Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00290 Helsinki, Finland; (S.J.); (L.M.); (A.N.); (M.I.P.)
| | - Lotta von Ossowski
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, University of Turku, 20520 Turku, Finland;
| | - Ayesha Nawaz
- Department of Bacteriology and Immunology, Medicum, Human Microbiome Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00290 Helsinki, Finland; (S.J.); (L.M.); (A.N.); (M.I.P.)
| | - Maria I. Pajunen
- Department of Bacteriology and Immunology, Medicum, Human Microbiome Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00290 Helsinki, Finland; (S.J.); (L.M.); (A.N.); (M.I.P.)
| | - Lotta J. Happonen
- Division of Infection Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Lund University, 22184 Lund, Sweden;
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8
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Abstract
Bacteriophages are the most diverse and abundant biological entities on the Earth and require host bacteria to replicate. Because of this obligate relationship, in addition to the challenging conditions of surrounding environments, phages must integrate information about extrinsic and intrinsic factors when infecting their host. This integration helps to determine whether the infection becomes lytic or lysogenic, which likely influences phage spreading and long-term survival. Although a variety of environmental and physiological clues are known to modulate lysis-lysogeny decisions, the social interplay among phages and host populations has been overlooked until recently. A growing body of evidence indicates that cell-cell communication in bacteria and, more recently, peptide-based communication among phage-phage populations, affect phage-host interactions by controlling phage lysis-lysogeny decisions and phage counter-defensive strategies in bacteria. Here, we explore and discuss the role of signal molecules as well as quorum sensing and quenching factors that mediate phage-host interactions. Our aim is to provide an overview of population-dependent mechanisms that influence phage replication, and how social communication may affect the dynamics and evolution of microbial communities, including their implications in phage therapy.
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9
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Wang JB, Yu MS, Tseng TT, Lin LC. Molecular Characterization of Ahp2, a Lytic Bacteriophage of Aeromonas hydrophila. Viruses 2021; 13:v13030477. [PMID: 33799428 PMCID: PMC8001559 DOI: 10.3390/v13030477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Revised: 03/07/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Aeromonas hydrophila is an opportunistic pathogen that infects fish, amphibians, mammals, and humans. This study isolated a myophage, vB_AhyM_Ahp2 (Ahp2), that lytically infects A. hydrophila. We observed that 96% of the Ahp2 particles adsorbed to A. hydrophila within 18 min. Ahp2 also showed a latent period of 15 min with a burst size of 142 PFU/cell. This phage has a linear double-stranded DNA genome of 47,331 bp with a GC content of 57%. At least 20 Ahp2 proteins were detected by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis; among them, a 40-kDa protein was predicted as the major capsid protein. Sequence analysis showed that Ahp2 has a genome organization closely related to a group of Aeromonas phages (13AhydR10RR, 14AhydR10RR, 85AhydR10RR, phage 3, 32 Asp37, 59.1), which infect Aeromonas hydrophila and Aeromonas salmonicida. The tail module encompassing ORF27-29 in the Ahp2 genome was present in all Aeromonas phages analyzed in this study and likely determines the host range of the virus. This study found that Ahp2 completely lyses A. hydrophila AH300206 in 3.5 h at a MOI of 0.0001 and does not lysogenize its host. Altogether, these findings show that Ahp2 is a lytic Aeromonas phage and could be a candidate for therapeutic phage cocktails.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian-Bin Wang
- Laboratory of Microbial Genetics, Institute of Medical Sciences, Tzu Chi University, No. 701, Sec. 3, Zhongyang Rd., Hualien 97004, Taiwan;
| | - Mei-Shiuan Yu
- Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, No. 701, Sec. 3, Zhongyang Rd., Hualien 97004, Taiwan;
- Master Program in Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, No. 701, Sec. 3, Zhongyang Rd., Hualien 97004, Taiwan
| | - Tsai-Tien Tseng
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Kennesaw State University, 1000 Chastain Road, Kennesaw, GA 30144, USA;
| | - Ling-Chun Lin
- Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, No. 701, Sec. 3, Zhongyang Rd., Hualien 97004, Taiwan;
- Master Program in Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, No. 701, Sec. 3, Zhongyang Rd., Hualien 97004, Taiwan
- Correspondence: e-mail: ; Tel.: +886-3-8565301
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10
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Abstract
Bacteria harbor viruses called bacteriophages that, like all viruses, co-opt the host cellular machinery to replicate. Although this relationship is at first glance parasitic, there are social interactions among and between bacteriophages and their bacterial hosts. These social interactions can take on many forms, including cooperation, altruism, and cheating. Such behaviors among individuals in groups of bacteria have been well described. However, the social nature of some interactions between phages or phages and bacteria is only now becoming clear. Bacteria harbor viruses called bacteriophages that, like all viruses, co-opt the host cellular machinery to replicate. Although this relationship is at first glance parasitic, there are social interactions among and between bacteriophages and their bacterial hosts. These social interactions can take on many forms, including cooperation, altruism, and cheating. Such behaviors among individuals in groups of bacteria have been well described. However, the social nature of some interactions between phages or phages and bacteria is only now becoming clear. We are just beginning to understand how bacteriophages affect the sociobiology of bacteria, and we know even less about social interactions within bacteriophage populations. In this review, we discuss recent developments in our understanding of bacteriophage sociobiology, including how selective pressures influence the outcomes of social interactions between populations of bacteria and bacteriophages. We also explore how tripartite social interactions between bacteria, bacteriophages, and an animal host affect host-microbe interactions. Finally, we argue that understanding the sociobiology of bacteriophages will have implications for the therapeutic use of bacteriophages to treat bacterial infections.
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11
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Kim SG, Giri SS, Yun S, Kim HJ, Kim SW, Kang JW, Han SJ, Kwon J, Jun JW, Oh WT, Park SC. Genomic characterization of bacteriophage pEt-SU, a novel phiKZ-related virus infecting Edwardsiella tarda. Arch Virol 2019; 165:219-222. [PMID: 31630274 DOI: 10.1007/s00705-019-04432-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
A bacteriophage infecting Edwardsiella tarda (named pEt-SU) was isolated from freshwater collected in Chung-ju, South Korea. The whole genome of pEt-SU was 276,734 bp in length, representing the first giant phage infecting Edwardsiella reported to date. A total of 284 putative open reading frames were predicted and annotated. Morphology and genome analyses verified that pEt-SU may be distantly related to the phiKZ-like phages, a well-known giant myovirus. The findings in this study provide new insights into the phages infecting E. tarda ads well as fundamental data for the study of giant phages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sang Guen Kim
- Laboratory of Aquatic Biomedicine, College of Veterinary Medicine and Research Institute for Veterinary Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Sib Sankar Giri
- Laboratory of Aquatic Biomedicine, College of Veterinary Medicine and Research Institute for Veterinary Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Saekil Yun
- Laboratory of Aquatic Biomedicine, College of Veterinary Medicine and Research Institute for Veterinary Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyoun Joong Kim
- Laboratory of Aquatic Biomedicine, College of Veterinary Medicine and Research Institute for Veterinary Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang Wha Kim
- Laboratory of Aquatic Biomedicine, College of Veterinary Medicine and Research Institute for Veterinary Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung Woo Kang
- Laboratory of Aquatic Biomedicine, College of Veterinary Medicine and Research Institute for Veterinary Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Se Jin Han
- Laboratory of Aquatic Biomedicine, College of Veterinary Medicine and Research Institute for Veterinary Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Jun Kwon
- Laboratory of Aquatic Biomedicine, College of Veterinary Medicine and Research Institute for Veterinary Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin Woo Jun
- Department of Aquaculture, Korea National College of Agriculture and Fisheries, Kongjwipatjwi-ro, Wansan-gu, Jeonju-si, Jeollabuk-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Woo Taek Oh
- Laboratory of Aquatic Biomedicine, College of Veterinary Medicine and Research Institute for Veterinary Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Se Chang Park
- Laboratory of Aquatic Biomedicine, College of Veterinary Medicine and Research Institute for Veterinary Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea.
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12
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Taylor VL, Fitzpatrick AD, Islam Z, Maxwell KL. The Diverse Impacts of Phage Morons on Bacterial Fitness and Virulence. Adv Virus Res 2019; 103:1-31. [PMID: 30635074 DOI: 10.1016/bs.aivir.2018.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The viruses that infect bacteria, known as phages, are the most abundant biological entity on earth. They play critical roles in controlling bacterial populations through phage-mediated killing, as well as through formation of bacterial lysogens. In this form, the survival of the phage depends on the survival of the bacterial host in which it resides. Thus, it is advantageous for phages to encode genes that contribute to bacterial fitness and expand the environmental niche. In many cases, these fitness factors also make the bacteria better able to survive in human infections and are thereby considered pathogenesis or virulence factors. The genes that encode these fitness factors, known as "morons," have been shown to increase bacterial fitness through a wide range of mechanisms and play important roles in bacterial diseases. This review outlines the benefits provided by phage morons in various aspects of bacterial life, including phage and antibiotic resistance, motility, adhesion and quorum sensing.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Zafrin Islam
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Karen L Maxwell
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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13
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14
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Hargreaves KR, Kropinski AM, Clokie MRJ. Bacteriophage behavioral ecology: How phages alter their bacterial host's habits. BACTERIOPHAGE 2014; 4:e29866. [PMID: 25105060 PMCID: PMC4124054 DOI: 10.4161/bact.29866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2014] [Revised: 07/03/2014] [Accepted: 07/08/2014] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Bacteriophages have an essential gene kit that enables their invasion, replication, and production. In addition to this "core" genome, they can carry "accessory" genes that dramatically impact bacterial biology, and presumably boost their own success. The content of phage genomes continue to surprise us by revealing new ways that viruses impact bacterial biology. The genome of a Clostridium difficile myovirus, phiCDHM1, contains homologs of three bacterial accessory gene regulator (agr) genes. The agr system is a type of quorum sensing (QS), via which the phage may modify C. difficile interactions with its environment. Although their mechanism of action is unknown, mutants in bacterial versions of these genes impact sporulation and virulence. To explore how phage QS genes may influence C. difficile biology, we examine the main categories of bacterial behavior that phages have been shown to influence and discuss how interactions via QS could influence behavior at a wider level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine R Hargreaves
- Department of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation; University of Leicester; Leicester, UK
| | - Andrew M Kropinski
- Laboratory for Foodborne Zoonoses; Public Health Agency of Canada; West Guelph, Ontario CA
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology; University of Guelph; Guelph, Ontario CA
| | - Martha RJ Clokie
- Department of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation; University of Leicester; Leicester, UK
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15
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Inhibition of biofilm formation by T7 bacteriophages producing quorum-quenching enzymes. Appl Environ Microbiol 2014; 80:5340-8. [PMID: 24951790 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01434-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial growth in biofilms is the major cause of recalcitrant biofouling in industrial processes and of persistent infections in clinical settings. The use of bacteriophage treatment to lyse bacteria in biofilms has attracted growing interest. In particular, many natural or engineered phages produce depolymerases to degrade polysaccharides in the biofilm matrix and allow access to host bacteria. However, the phage-produced depolymerases are highly specific for only the host-derived polysaccharides and may have limited effects on natural multispecies biofilms. In this study, an engineered T7 bacteriophage was constructed to encode a lactonase enzyme with broad-range activity for quenching of quorum sensing, a form of bacterial cell-cell communication via small chemical molecules (acyl homoserine lactones [AHLs]) that is necessary for biofilm formation. Our results demonstrated that the engineered T7 phage expressed the AiiA lactonase to effectively degrade AHLs from many bacteria. Addition of the engineered T7 phage to mixed-species biofilms containing Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli resulted in inhibition of biofilm formation. Such quorum-quenching phages that can lyse host bacteria and express quorum-quenching enzymes to affect diverse bacteria in biofilm communities may become novel antifouling and antibiofilm agents in industrial and clinical settings.
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16
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Complete Genome Sequence of the Edwardsiella ictaluri-Specific Bacteriophage PEi21, Isolated from River Water in Japan. GENOME ANNOUNCEMENTS 2014; 2:2/2/e00228-14. [PMID: 24699953 PMCID: PMC3974935 DOI: 10.1128/genomea.00228-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
We present the complete genome sequence for a novel Edwardsiella ictaluri-specific bacteriophage, PEi21, isolated from river water in Japan. An initial comparative genome analysis revealed that the phage was closely related to the previously reported Edwardsiella tarda phage MSW-3 isolated from a red sea bream farm in Japan.
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17
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Hargreaves KR, Kropinski AM, Clokie MRJ. What does the talking?: quorum sensing signalling genes discovered in a bacteriophage genome. PLoS One 2014; 9:e85131. [PMID: 24475037 PMCID: PMC3901668 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0085131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2013] [Accepted: 11/22/2013] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The transfer of novel genetic material into the genomes of bacterial viruses (phages) has been widely documented in several host-phage systems. Bacterial genes are incorporated into the phage genome and, if retained, subsequently evolve within them. The expression of these phage genes can subvert or bolster bacterial processes, including altering bacterial pathogenicity. The phage phiCDHM1 infects Clostridium difficile, a pathogenic bacterium that causes nosocomial infections and is associated with antibiotic treatment. Genome sequencing and annotation of phiCDHM1 shows that despite being closely related to other C. difficile myoviruses, it has several genes that have not been previously reported in any phage genomes. Notably, these include three homologs of bacterial genes from the accessory gene regulator (agr) quorum sensing (QS) system. These are; a pre-peptide (AgrD) of an autoinducing peptide (AIP), an enzyme which processes the pre-peptide (AgrB) and a histidine kinase (AgrC) that detects the AIP to activate a response regulator. Phylogenetic analysis of the phage and C. difficile agr genes revealed that there are three types of agr loci in this species. We propose that the phage genes belonging to a third type, agr3, and have been horizontally transferred from the host. AgrB and AgrC are transcribed during the infection of two different strains. In addition, the phage agrC appears not to be confined to the phiCDHM1 genome as it was detected in genetically distinct C. difficile strains. The discovery of QS gene homologs in a phage genome presents a novel way in which phages could influence their bacterial hosts, or neighbouring bacterial populations. This is the first time that these QS genes have been reported in a phage genome and their distribution both in C. difficile and phage genomes suggests that the agr3 locus undergoes horizontal gene transfer within this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine R. Hargreaves
- Department of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Leicester, Leicester, Leicestershire, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew M. Kropinski
- Laboratory for Foodborne Zoonoses, Public Health Agency of Canada, West Guelph, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Martha R. J. Clokie
- Department of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Leicester, Leicester, Leicestershire, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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18
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Complete Genome Sequence of a Novel Myovirus Which Infects Atypical Strains of Edwardsiella tarda. GENOME ANNOUNCEMENTS 2013; 1:genomeA00248-12. [PMID: 23469359 PMCID: PMC3587953 DOI: 10.1128/genomea.00248-12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2013] [Accepted: 01/17/2013] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
We present the genome sequence of a novel Edwardsiella tarda-lytic bacteriophage, MSW-3, which specifically infects atypical E. tarda strains. The morphological and genomic features of MSW-3 suggest that this phage is a new member of the dwarf myoviruses, which have been much less studied than other groups of myoviruses.
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19
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Comeau AM, Tremblay D, Moineau S, Rattei T, Kushkina AI, Tovkach FI, Krisch HM, Ackermann HW. Phage morphology recapitulates phylogeny: the comparative genomics of a new group of myoviruses. PLoS One 2012; 7:e40102. [PMID: 22792219 PMCID: PMC3391216 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0040102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2012] [Accepted: 05/31/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Among dsDNA tailed bacteriophages (Caudovirales), members of the Myoviridae family have the most sophisticated virion design that includes a complex contractile tail structure. The Myoviridae generally have larger genomes than the other phage families. Relatively few "dwarf" myoviruses, those with a genome size of less than 50 kb such as those of the Mu group, have been analyzed in extenso. Here we report on the genome sequencing and morphological characterization of a new group of such phages that infect a diverse range of Proteobacteria, namely Aeromonas salmonicida phage 56, Vibrio cholerae phages 138 and CP-T1, Bdellovibrio phage φ1422, and Pectobacterium carotovorum phage ZF40. This group of dwarf myoviruses shares an identical virion morphology, characterized by usually short contractile tails, and have genome sizes of approximately 45 kb. Although their genome sequences are variable in their lysogeny, replication, and host adaption modules, presumably reflecting differing lifestyles and hosts, their structural and morphogenesis modules have been evolutionarily constrained by their virion morphology. Comparative genomic analysis reveals that these phages, along with related prophage genomes, form a new coherent group within the Myoviridae. The results presented in this communication support the hypothesis that the diversity of phages may be more structured than generally believed and that the innumerable phages in the biosphere all belong to discrete lineages or families.
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Affiliation(s)
- André M Comeau
- Québec-Océan, Département de Biologie, and Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada.
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20
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Leiman PG, Shneider MM. Contractile tail machines of bacteriophages. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2012; 726:93-114. [PMID: 22297511 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4614-0980-9_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 141] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Bacteriophages with contractile tails epitomize the concepts of "virus" and "phage" for many because the tails of these phages undergo a large conformational change - resembling the action of a syringe - upon the attachment to the host cell. The contractile tails belong to the recently recognized class of "contractile systems," which includes phage tails, their close relatives R-type pyocins, the bacterial type VI secretion system, and the virulence cassette of Photorhabdus. Their function is to deliver large proteins and/or DNA into the cytoplasm of a bacterial or eukaryotic cell. The structure of the core components of all contractile tail-like systems is conserved, but the corresponding genes have diverged to such a degree that the common ancestry can no longer be easily detected at the level of amino acid sequence. At present, it is unclear, whether the contractile systems originated in bacteria or in phages. This chapter describes the structure and function of phage contractile tails and compares them with other phage tails and with other known contractile systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petr G Leiman
- Institut de physique des systèmes biologiques, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
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