1
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Iglesias SM, Hou CFD, Reid J, Schauer E, Geier R, Soriaga A, Sim L, Gao L, Whitelegge J, Kyme P, Birx D, Lemire S, Cingolani G. Cryo-EM analysis of Pseudomonas phage Pa193 structural components. Commun Biol 2024; 7:1275. [PMID: 39370451 PMCID: PMC11456595 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06985-x] [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: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 09/28/2024] [Indexed: 10/08/2024] Open
Abstract
The World Health Organization has designated Pseudomonas aeruginosa as a critical pathogen for the development of new antimicrobials. Bacterial viruses, or bacteriophages, have been used in various clinical settings, commonly called phage therapy, to address this growing public health crisis. Here, we describe a high-resolution structural atlas of a therapeutic, contractile-tailed Pseudomonas phage, Pa193. We used bioinformatics, proteomics, and cryogenic electron microscopy single particle analysis to identify, annotate, and build atomic models for 21 distinct structural polypeptide chains forming the icosahedral capsid, neck, contractile tail, and baseplate. We identified a putative scaffolding protein stabilizing the interior of the capsid 5-fold vertex. We also visualized a large portion of Pa193 ~ 500 Å long tail fibers and resolved the interface between the baseplate and tail fibers. The work presented here provides a framework to support a better understanding of phages as biomedicines for phage therapy and inform engineering opportunities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephano M Iglesias
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Chun-Feng David Hou
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Johnny Reid
- Armata Pharmaceuticals Inc., Los Angeles, USA
| | | | - Renae Geier
- Armata Pharmaceuticals Inc., Los Angeles, USA
| | | | - Lucy Sim
- Armata Pharmaceuticals Inc., Los Angeles, USA
| | - Lucy Gao
- Pasarow Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Julian Whitelegge
- Pasarow Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Pierre Kyme
- Armata Pharmaceuticals Inc., Los Angeles, USA
| | | | | | - Gino Cingolani
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, USA.
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, USA.
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2
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He L, Miguel-Romero L, Patkowski JB, Alqurainy N, Rocha EPC, Costa TRD, Fillol-Salom A, Penadés JR. Tail assembly interference is a common strategy in bacterial antiviral defenses. Nat Commun 2024; 15:7539. [PMID: 39215040 PMCID: PMC11364771 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-51915-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 08/20/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Many bacterial immune systems recognize phage structural components to activate antiviral responses, without inhibiting the function of the phage component. These systems can be encoded in specific chromosomal loci, known as defense islands, and in mobile genetic elements such as prophages and phage-inducible chromosomal islands (PICIs). Here, we identify a family of bacterial immune systems, named Tai (for 'tail assembly inhibition'), that is prevalent in PICIs, prophages and P4-like phage satellites. Tai systems protect their bacterial host population from other phages by blocking the tail assembly step, leading to the release of tailless phages incapable of infecting new hosts. To prevent autoimmunity, some Tai-positive phages have an associated counter-defense mechanism that is expressed during the phage lytic cycle and allows for tail formation. Interestingly, the Tai defense and counter-defense genes are organized in a non-contiguous operon, enabling their coordinated expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingchen He
- Centre for Bacterial Resistance Biology, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Laura Miguel-Romero
- Centre for Bacterial Resistance Biology, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia (IBV), CSIC, Valencia, Spain
| | - Jonasz B Patkowski
- Centre for Bacterial Resistance Biology, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Nasser Alqurainy
- Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
- Department of Basic Science, College of Science and Health Professions, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences & King Abdullah International Medical Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Eduardo P C Rocha
- Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris Cité, CNRS, UMR3525, Microbial Evolutionary Genomics, Paris, France
| | - Tiago R D Costa
- Centre for Bacterial Resistance Biology, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Alfred Fillol-Salom
- Centre for Bacterial Resistance Biology, Imperial College London, London, UK.
| | - José R Penadés
- Centre for Bacterial Resistance Biology, Imperial College London, London, UK.
- School of Health Sciences, Universidad CEU Cardenal Herrera, CEU Universities, Alfara del Patriarca, Spain.
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3
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Papayova K, Bocanova L, Bauerova V, Bauer J, Halgasova N, Kajsikova M, Bukovska G. From sequence to function: Exploring biophysical properties of bacteriophage BFK20 lytic transglycosylase domain from the minor tail protein gp15. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS 2024; 1873:141044. [PMID: 39218139 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2024.141044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2024] [Revised: 08/20/2024] [Accepted: 08/27/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Bacteriophages have evolved different mechanisms of infection and penetration of bacterial cell walls. In Siphoviridae-like viruses, the inner tail proteins have a pivotal role in these processes and often encode lytic protein domains which increase infection efficiency. A soluble lytic transglycosylase (SLT) domain was identified in the minor tail protein gp15 from the BFK20 bacteriophage. Six fragments containing this SLT domain with adjacent regions of different lengths were cloned, expressed and purified. The biophysical properties of the two best expressing fragments were characterized by nanoDSF and CD spectroscopy, which showed that both fragments had a high refolding ability of 90 %. 3D modeling indicated that the bacteriophage BFK20 SLT domain is structurally similar to lysozyme. The degradation activity of these SLT proteins was evaluated using a lysozyme activity assay. BFK20 might use its transglycosylase activity to allow efficient phage DNA entry into the host cell by degrading bacterial peptidoglycan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina Papayova
- Department of Genomics and Biotechnology, Institute of Molecular Biology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska cesta 21, 845 51 Bratislava, Slovakia.
| | - Lucia Bocanova
- Department of Genomics and Biotechnology, Institute of Molecular Biology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska cesta 21, 845 51 Bratislava, Slovakia.
| | - Vladena Bauerova
- Department of Biochemistry and Protein Structure, Institute of Molecular Biology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska cesta 21, 845 51 Bratislava, Slovakia.
| | - Jacob Bauer
- Department of Biochemistry and Protein Structure, Institute of Molecular Biology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska cesta 21, 845 51 Bratislava, Slovakia.
| | - Nora Halgasova
- Department of Genomics and Biotechnology, Institute of Molecular Biology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska cesta 21, 845 51 Bratislava, Slovakia.
| | - Maria Kajsikova
- Department of Genomics and Biotechnology, Institute of Molecular Biology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska cesta 21, 845 51 Bratislava, Slovakia.
| | - Gabriela Bukovska
- Department of Genomics and Biotechnology, Institute of Molecular Biology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska cesta 21, 845 51 Bratislava, Slovakia.
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4
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Cai X, He Y, Yu I, Imani A, Scholl D, Miller JF, Zhou ZH. Atomic structures of a bacteriocin targeting Gram-positive bacteria. Nat Commun 2024; 15:7057. [PMID: 39152109 PMCID: PMC11329794 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-51038-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: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 07/29/2024] [Indexed: 08/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Due to envelope differences between Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, engineering precision bactericidal contractile nanomachines requires atomic-level understanding of their structures; however, only those killing Gram-negative bacteria are currently known. Here, we report the atomic structures of an engineered diffocin, a contractile syringe-like molecular machine that kills the Gram-positive bacterium Clostridioides difficile. Captured in one pre-contraction and two post-contraction states, each structure fashions six proteins in the bacteria-targeting baseplate, two proteins in the energy-storing trunk, and a collar linking the sheath with the membrane-penetrating tube. Compared to contractile machines targeting Gram-negative bacteria, major differences reside in the baseplate and contraction magnitude, consistent with target envelope differences. The multifunctional hub-hydrolase protein connects the tube and baseplate and is positioned to degrade peptidoglycan during penetration. The full-length tape measure protein forms a coiled-coil helix bundle homotrimer spanning the entire diffocin. Our study offers mechanical insights and principles for designing potent protein-based precision antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoying Cai
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
- The California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI), University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Yao He
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
- The California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI), University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Iris Yu
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
- The California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI), University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Anthony Imani
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
- The California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI), University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Dean Scholl
- Pylum Biosciences, San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Jeff F Miller
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- The California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI), University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Z Hong Zhou
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- The California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI), University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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5
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Peng Y, Tang H, Xiao H, Chen W, Song J, Zheng J, Liu H. Structures of Mature and Urea-Treated Empty Bacteriophage T5: Insights into Siphophage Infection and DNA Ejection. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:8479. [PMID: 39126049 PMCID: PMC11313276 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25158479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2024] [Revised: 07/27/2024] [Accepted: 08/01/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024] Open
Abstract
T5 is a siphophage that has been extensively studied by structural and biochemical methods. However, the complete in situ structures of T5 before and after DNA ejection remain unknown. In this study, we used cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) to determine the structures of mature T5 (a laboratory-adapted, fiberless T5 mutant) and urea-treated empty T5 (lacking the tip complex) at near-atomic resolutions. Atomic models of the head, connector complex, tail tube, and tail tip were built for mature T5, and atomic models of the connector complex, comprising the portal protein pb7, adaptor protein p144, and tail terminator protein p142, were built for urea-treated empty T5. Our findings revealed that the aforementioned proteins did not undergo global conformational changes before and after DNA ejection, indicating that these structural features were conserved among most myophages and siphophages. The present study elucidates the underlying mechanisms of siphophage infection and DNA ejection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuning Peng
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, Key Laboratory for Matter Microstructure and Function of Hunan Province, Key Laboratory of Low-Dimensional Quantum Structures and Quantum Control, School of Physics and Electronics, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410082, China; (Y.P.); (H.X.); (W.C.)
- National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100052, China;
| | - Huanrong Tang
- School of Computer Science, Xiangtan University, Xiangtan 411105, China;
| | - Hao Xiao
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, Key Laboratory for Matter Microstructure and Function of Hunan Province, Key Laboratory of Low-Dimensional Quantum Structures and Quantum Control, School of Physics and Electronics, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410082, China; (Y.P.); (H.X.); (W.C.)
| | - Wenyuan Chen
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, Key Laboratory for Matter Microstructure and Function of Hunan Province, Key Laboratory of Low-Dimensional Quantum Structures and Quantum Control, School of Physics and Electronics, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410082, China; (Y.P.); (H.X.); (W.C.)
| | - Jingdong Song
- National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 100052, China;
| | - Jing Zheng
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, Key Laboratory for Matter Microstructure and Function of Hunan Province, Key Laboratory of Low-Dimensional Quantum Structures and Quantum Control, School of Physics and Electronics, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410082, China; (Y.P.); (H.X.); (W.C.)
| | - Hongrong Liu
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, Key Laboratory for Matter Microstructure and Function of Hunan Province, Key Laboratory of Low-Dimensional Quantum Structures and Quantum Control, School of Physics and Electronics, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410082, China; (Y.P.); (H.X.); (W.C.)
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6
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Nguyen TVP, Wu Y, Yao T, Trinh JT, Zeng L, Chemla YR, Golding I. Coinfecting phages impede each other's entry into the cell. Curr Biol 2024; 34:2841-2853.e18. [PMID: 38878771 PMCID: PMC11233250 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.05.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024]
Abstract
The developmental choice made by temperate phages, between cell death (lysis) and viral dormancy (lysogeny), is influenced by the relative abundance of viruses and hosts in the environment. The paradigm for this abundance-driven decision is phage lambda of E. coli, whose propensity to lysogenize increases with the number of viruses coinfecting the same bacterium. It is believed that lambda uses this number to infer whether phages or bacteria outnumber each other. However, this interpretation is premised on an accurate mapping between the extracellular phage-to-bacteria ratio and the intracellular multiplicity of infection (MOI). Here, we show this premise to be faulty. By simultaneously labeling phage capsids and genomes, we find that, while the number of phages landing on each cell reliably samples the population ratio, the number of phages entering the cell does not. Single-cell infections, performed in a microfluidic device and interpreted using a stochastic model, reveal that the probability and rate of phage entry decrease with the number of adsorbed phages. This decrease reflects an MOI-dependent perturbation to host physiology caused by phage attachment, as evidenced by compromised membrane integrity and loss of membrane potential. The dependence of entry dynamics on the surrounding medium results in a strong impact on the infection outcome, while the protracted entry of coinfecting phages increases the heterogeneity in infection outcome at a given MOI. Our findings in lambda, and similar results we obtained for phages T5 and P1, demonstrate the previously unappreciated role played by entry dynamics in determining the outcome of bacteriophage infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thu Vu Phuc Nguyen
- Department of Physics, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Yuchen Wu
- Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Tianyou Yao
- Department of Physics, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Jimmy T Trinh
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA; Center for Phage Technology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Lanying Zeng
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA; Center for Phage Technology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Yann R Chemla
- Department of Physics, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Ido Golding
- Department of Physics, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Microbiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
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7
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Beamud B, Benz F, Bikard D. Going viral: The role of mobile genetic elements in bacterial immunity. Cell Host Microbe 2024; 32:804-819. [PMID: 38870898 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2024.05.017] [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: 03/25/2024] [Revised: 05/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024]
Abstract
Bacteriophages and other mobile genetic elements (MGEs) pose a significant threat to bacteria, subjecting them to constant attacks. In response, bacteria have evolved a sophisticated immune system that employs diverse defensive strategies and mechanisms. Remarkably, a growing body of evidence suggests that most of these defenses are encoded by MGEs themselves. This realization challenges our traditional understanding of bacterial immunity and raises intriguing questions about the evolutionary forces at play. Our review provides a comprehensive overview of the latest findings on the main families of MGEs and the defense systems they encode. We also highlight how a vast diversity of defense systems remains to be discovered and their mechanism of mobility understood. Altogether, the composition and distribution of defense systems in bacterial genomes only makes sense in the light of the ecological and evolutionary interactions of a complex network of MGEs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Beamud
- Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, Synthetic Biology, 75015 Paris, France.
| | - Fabienne Benz
- Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, Synthetic Biology, 75015 Paris, France; Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR3525, Microbial Evolutionary Genomics, 75015 Paris, France
| | - David Bikard
- Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, Synthetic Biology, 75015 Paris, France.
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8
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Nagakubo T, Nishiyama T, Yamamoto T, Nomura N, Toyofuku M. Contractile injection systems facilitate sporogenic differentiation of Streptomyces davawensis through the action of a phage tapemeasure protein-related effector. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4442. [PMID: 38789435 PMCID: PMC11126660 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48834-9] [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: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Contractile injection systems (CISs) are prokaryotic phage tail-like nanostructures loading effector proteins that mediate various biological processes. Although CIS functions have been diversified through evolution and hold the great potential as protein delivery systems, the functional characterisation of CISs and their effectors is currently limited to a few CIS lineages. Here, we show that the CISs of Streptomyces davawensis belong to a unique group of bacterial CISs distributed across distant phyla and facilitate sporogenic differentiation of this bacterium. CIS loss results in decreases in extracellular DNA release, biomass accumulation, and spore formation in S. davawensis. CISs load an effector, which is a remote homolog of phage tapemeasure proteins, and its C-terminal domain has endonuclease activity responsible for the CIS-associated phenotypes. Our findings illustrate that CISs can contribute to the reproduction of bacteria through the action of the effector and suggest an evolutionary link between CIS effectors and viral cargos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toshiki Nagakubo
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan.
- Microbiology Research Center for Sustainability (MiCS), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan.
| | - Tatsuya Nishiyama
- Life Science Research Center, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, Chiyoda, Japan
| | - Tatsuya Yamamoto
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Nobuhiko Nomura
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
- Microbiology Research Center for Sustainability (MiCS), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
- Life Science Center for Survival Dynamics, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Masanori Toyofuku
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan.
- Microbiology Research Center for Sustainability (MiCS), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan.
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9
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Kobakhidze S, Koulouris S, Kakabadze N, Kotetishvili M. Genetic recombination-mediated evolutionary interactions between phages of potential industrial importance and prophages of their hosts within or across the domains of Escherichia, Listeria, Salmonella, Campylobacter, and Staphylococcus. BMC Microbiol 2024; 24:155. [PMID: 38704526 PMCID: PMC11069274 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-024-03312-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The in-depth understanding of the role of lateral genetic transfer (LGT) in phage-prophage interactions is essential to rationalizing phage applications for human and animal therapy, as well as for food and environmental safety. This in silico study aimed to detect LGT between phages of potential industrial importance and their hosts. METHODS A large array of genetic recombination detection algorithms, implemented in SplitsTree and RDP4, was applied to detect LGT between various Escherichia, Listeria, Salmonella, Campylobacter, Staphylococcus, Pseudomonas, and Vibrio phages and their hosts. PHASTER and RAST were employed respectively to identify prophages across the host genome and to annotate LGT-affected genes with unknown functions. PhageAI was used to gain deeper insights into the life cycle history of recombined phages. RESULTS The split decomposition inferences (bootstrap values: 91.3-100; fit: 91.433-100), coupled with the Phi (0.0-2.836E-12) and RDP4 (P being well below 0.05) statistics, provided strong evidence for LGT between certain Escherichia, Listeria, Salmonella, and Campylobacter virulent phages and prophages of their hosts. The LGT events entailed mainly the phage genes encoding for hypothetical proteins, while some of these genetic loci appeared to have been affected even by intergeneric recombination in specific E. coli and S. enterica virulent phages when interacting with their host prophages. Moreover, it is shown that certain L. monocytogenes virulent phages could serve at least as the donors of the gene loci, involved in encoding for the basal promoter specificity factor, for L. monocytogenes. In contrast, the large genetic clusters were determined to have been simultaneously exchanged by many S. aureus prophages and some Staphylococcus temperate phages proposed earlier as potential therapeutic candidates (in their native or modified state). The above genetic clusters were found to encompass multiple genes encoding for various proteins, such as e.g., phage tail proteins, the capsid and scaffold proteins, holins, and transcriptional terminator proteins. CONCLUSIONS It is suggested that phage-prophage interactions, mediated by LGT (including intergeneric recombination), can have a far-reaching impact on the co-evolutionary trajectories of industrial phages and their hosts especially when excessively present across microbially rich environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saba Kobakhidze
- Hygiene and Medical Ecology, G. Natadze Scientific-Research Institute of Sanitary, 78 D. Uznadze St. 0102, Tbilisi, Georgia
- Faculty of Medicine, Iv. Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, 1 Ilia Chavchavadze Ave. 0179, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Stylianos Koulouris
- Directorate General for Health and Food Safety (DG-SANTE), European Commission, 1049, Bruxelles/Brussel, Belgium
| | - Nata Kakabadze
- Hygiene and Medical Ecology, G. Natadze Scientific-Research Institute of Sanitary, 78 D. Uznadze St. 0102, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Mamuka Kotetishvili
- Hygiene and Medical Ecology, G. Natadze Scientific-Research Institute of Sanitary, 78 D. Uznadze St. 0102, Tbilisi, Georgia.
- Scientific Research Institute, School of Science and Technology, the University of Georgia, 77a M. Kostava St., 0171, Tbilisi, Georgia.
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10
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Cingolani G, Iglesias S, Hou CF, Lemire S, Soriaga A, Kyme P. Cryo-EM analysis of Pseudomonas phage Pa193 structural components. RESEARCH SQUARE 2024:rs.3.rs-4189479. [PMID: 38659960 PMCID: PMC11042391 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4189479/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
The World Health Organization has designated Pseudomonas aeruginosa as a critical pathogen for the development of new antimicrobials. Bacterial viruses, or bacteriophages, have been used in various clinical settings, commonly called phage therapy, to address this growing public health crisis. Here, we describe a high-resolution structural atlas of a therapeutic, contractile-tailed Pseudomonas phage, Pa193. We used bioinformatics, proteomics, and cryogenic electron microscopy single particle analysis to identify, annotate, and build atomic models for 21 distinct structural polypeptide chains forming the icosahedral capsid, neck, contractile tail, and baseplate. We identified a putative scaffolding protein stabilizing the interior of the capsid 5-fold vertex. We also visualized a large portion of Pa193 ~ 500 Å long tail fibers and resolved the interface between the baseplate and tail fibers. The work presented here provides a framework to support a better understanding of phages as biomedicines for phage therapy and inform engineering opportunities.
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11
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Patel PH, Taylor VL, Zhang C, Getz LJ, Fitzpatrick AD, Davidson AR, Maxwell KL. Anti-phage defence through inhibition of virion assembly. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1644. [PMID: 38388474 PMCID: PMC10884400 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45892-x] [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: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Bacteria have evolved diverse antiviral defence mechanisms to protect themselves against phage infection. Phages integrated into bacterial chromosomes, known as prophages, also encode defences that protect the bacterial hosts in which they reside. Here, we identify a type of anti-phage defence that interferes with the virion assembly pathway of invading phages. The protein that mediates this defence, which we call Tab (for 'Tail assembly blocker'), is constitutively expressed from a Pseudomonas aeruginosa prophage. Tab allows the invading phage replication cycle to proceed, but blocks assembly of the phage tail, thus preventing formation of infectious virions. While the infected cell dies through the activity of the replicating phage lysis proteins, there is no release of infectious phage progeny, and the bacterial community is thereby protected from a phage epidemic. Prophages expressing Tab are not inhibited during their own lytic cycle because they express a counter-defence protein that interferes with Tab function. Thus, our work reveals an anti-phage defence that operates by blocking virion assembly, thereby both preventing formation of phage progeny and allowing destruction of the infected cell due to expression of phage lysis genes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Chi Zhang
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Landon J Getz
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | - Alan R Davidson
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Karen L Maxwell
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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12
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Leavitt JC, Woodbury BM, Gilcrease EB, Bridges CM, Teschke CM, Casjens SR. Bacteriophage P22 SieA-mediated superinfection exclusion. mBio 2024; 15:e0216923. [PMID: 38236051 PMCID: PMC10883804 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02169-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Many temperate phages encode prophage-expressed functions that interfere with superinfection of the host bacterium by external phages. Salmonella phage P22 has four such systems that are expressed from the prophage in a lysogen that are encoded by the c2 (repressor), gtrABC, sieA, and sieB genes. Here we report that the P22-encoded SieA protein is necessary and sufficient for exclusion by the SieA system and that it is an inner membrane protein that blocks DNA injection by P22 and its relatives, but has no effect on infection by other tailed phage types. The P22 virion injects its DNA through the host cell membranes and periplasm via a conduit assembled from three "ejection proteins" after their release from the virion. Phage P22 mutants that overcome the SieA block were isolated, and they have amino acid changes in the C-terminal regions of the gene 16 and 20 encoded ejection proteins. Three different single-amino acid changes in these proteins are required to obtain nearly full resistance to SieA. Hybrid P22 phages that have phage HK620 ejection protein genes are also partially resistant to SieA. There are three sequence types of extant phage-encoded SieA proteins that are less than 30% identical to one another, yet comparison of two of these types found no differences in phage target specificity. Our data strongly suggest a model in which the inner membrane protein SieA interferes with the assembly or function of the periplasmic gp20 and membrane-bound gp16 DNA delivery conduit.IMPORTANCEThe ongoing evolutionary battle between bacteria and the viruses that infect them is a critical feature of bacterial ecology on Earth. Viruses can kill bacteria by infecting them. However, when their chromosomes are integrated into a bacterial genome as a prophage, viruses can also protect the host bacterium by expressing genes whose products defend against infection by other viruses. This defense property is called "superinfection exclusion." A significant fraction of bacteria harbor prophages that encode such protective systems, and there are many different molecular strategies by which superinfection exclusion is mediated. This report is the first to describe the mechanism by which bacteriophage P22 SieA superinfection exclusion protein protects its host bacterium from infection by other P22-like phages. The P22 prophage-encoded inner membrane SieA protein prevents infection by blocking transport of superinfecting phage DNA across the inner membrane during injection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin C Leavitt
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Brianna M Woodbury
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA
| | - Eddie B Gilcrease
- Division of Microbiology and Immunology, Pathology Department, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Charles M Bridges
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA
| | - Carolyn M Teschke
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA
| | - Sherwood R Casjens
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
- Division of Microbiology and Immunology, Pathology Department, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
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13
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Wang C, Duan J, Gu Z, Ge X, Zeng J, Wang J. Architecture of the bacteriophage lambda tail. Structure 2024; 32:35-46.e3. [PMID: 37918400 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2023.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
Bacteriophage lambda has a double-stranded DNA genome and a long, flexible, non-contractile tail encoded by a contiguous block of 11 genes downstream of the head genes. The tail allows host recognition and delivery of viral DNA from the head shell to the cytoplasm of the infected cell. Here, we present a high-resolution structure of the tail complex of bacteriophage lambda determined by cryoelectron microscopy. Most component proteins of the lambda tail were determined at the atomic scale. The structure sheds light on the molecular organization of the extensively studied tail of bacteriophage lambda.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P.R. China
| | - Jinsong Duan
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P.R. China
| | - Zhiwei Gu
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P.R. China
| | - Xiaofei Ge
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P.R. China
| | - Jianwei Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P.R. China.
| | - Jiawei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Beijing Frontier Research Center for Biological Structure, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P.R. China.
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14
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Muscatt G, Cook R, Millard A, Bending GD, Jameson E. Viral metagenomics reveals diverse virus-host interactions throughout the soil depth profile. mBio 2023; 14:e0224623. [PMID: 38032184 PMCID: PMC10746233 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02246-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Soil viruses can moderate the roles that their host microbes play in global carbon cycling. However, given that most studies investigate the surface layer (i.e., top 20 cm) of soil, the extent to which this occurs in subsurface soil (i.e., below 20 cm) is unknown. Here, we leveraged public sequencing data to investigate the interactions between viruses and their hosts at soil depth intervals, down to 115 cm. While most viruses were detected throughout the soil depth profile, their adaptation to host microbes varied. Nonetheless, we uncovered evidence for the potential of soil viruses to encourage their hosts to recycle plant-derived carbon in both surface and subsurface soils. This work reasons that our understanding of soil viral functions requires us to continue to dig deeper and compare viruses existing throughout soil ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- George Muscatt
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Ryan Cook
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Loughborough, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew Millard
- Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, Leicester Centre for Phage Research, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - Gary D. Bending
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Eleanor Jameson
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
- School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd, United Kingdom
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15
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Xiao H, Tan L, Tan Z, Zhang Y, Chen W, Li X, Song J, Cheng L, Liu H. Structure of the siphophage neck-Tail complex suggests that conserved tail tip proteins facilitate receptor binding and tail assembly. PLoS Biol 2023; 21:e3002441. [PMID: 38096144 PMCID: PMC10721106 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Siphophages have a long, flexible, and noncontractile tail that connects to the capsid through a neck. The phage tail is essential for host cell recognition and virus-host cell interactions; moreover, it serves as a channel for genome delivery during infection. However, the in situ high-resolution structure of the neck-tail complex of siphophages remains unknown. Here, we present the structure of the siphophage lambda "wild type," the most widely used, laboratory-adapted fiberless mutant. The neck-tail complex comprises a channel formed by stacked 12-fold and hexameric rings and a 3-fold symmetrical tip. The interactions among DNA and a total of 246 tail protein molecules forming the tail and neck have been characterized. Structural comparisons of the tail tips, the most diversified region across the lambda and other long-tailed phages or tail-like machines, suggest that their tail tip contains conserved domains, which facilitate tail assembly, receptor binding, cell adsorption, and DNA retaining/releasing. These domains are distributed in different tail tip proteins in different phages or tail-like machines. The side tail fibers are not required for the phage particle to orient itself vertically to the surface of the host cell during attachment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Xiao
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, Key Laboratory for Matter Microstructure and Function of Hunan Province, Key Laboratory of Low-dimensional Quantum Structures and Quantum Control, School of Physics and Electronics, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China
- National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Le Tan
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, Key Laboratory for Matter Microstructure and Function of Hunan Province, Key Laboratory of Low-dimensional Quantum Structures and Quantum Control, School of Physics and Electronics, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China
| | - Zhixue Tan
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, Key Laboratory for Matter Microstructure and Function of Hunan Province, Key Laboratory of Low-dimensional Quantum Structures and Quantum Control, School of Physics and Electronics, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China
| | - Yewei Zhang
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, Key Laboratory for Matter Microstructure and Function of Hunan Province, Key Laboratory of Low-dimensional Quantum Structures and Quantum Control, School of Physics and Electronics, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China
| | - Wenyuan Chen
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, Key Laboratory for Matter Microstructure and Function of Hunan Province, Key Laboratory of Low-dimensional Quantum Structures and Quantum Control, School of Physics and Electronics, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China
| | - Xiaowu Li
- School of Electronics and Information Engineering, Hunan University of Science and Engineering, Yongzhou, China
| | - Jingdong Song
- National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Lingpeng Cheng
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, Key Laboratory for Matter Microstructure and Function of Hunan Province, Key Laboratory of Low-dimensional Quantum Structures and Quantum Control, School of Physics and Electronics, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China
| | - Hongrong Liu
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, Key Laboratory for Matter Microstructure and Function of Hunan Province, Key Laboratory of Low-dimensional Quantum Structures and Quantum Control, School of Physics and Electronics, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China
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16
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Zhao J, Lin Y, Wang C, Zayda M, Maung AT, Mohammadi TN, Duc HM, Yu P, Ma M, Gong D, Sato J, Masuda Y, Honjoh KI, Miyamoto T, Zeng Z. Biocontrol of Salmonella Typhimurium in milk, lettuce, raw pork meat and ready-to-eat steamed-chicken breast by using a novel bacteriophage with broad host range. Int J Food Microbiol 2023; 402:110295. [PMID: 37352774 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2023.110295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023]
Abstract
Salmonella spp., one of the most frequently reported bacteria, causes foodborne illness and economic losses. Due to the threat of increasing antibiotic resistant foodborne pathogens, application of bacteriophages as novel antibacterial agents in food matrices has become an emerging strategy. In this study, a novel Salmonella phage PS3-1 with high lytic activity against Salmonella Typhimurium was identified from previously isolated phages. PS3-1 belonged to the class Caudoviricetes with a broad host range, and had relatively short latent period (15 min), large burst size (92 PFU/cell), high pH stability (pH 3.0-11.0) and thermal tolerance (4-60 °C). Genome sequencing analysis showed that PS3-1 genome consisted of 107,110 bp DNA, without antibiotic resistance and virulence related genes. The results of growth curve and time-kill assay showed that PS3-1 not only inhibited the growth of S. Typhimurium, but also effectively decreased the viable cell counts (0.30-4.72 log) after 24-h incubation at 7, 25 and 37 °C (P < 0.05). Moreover, >1.28 log of established biofilm cells were effectively removed after 24-h treatment with PS3-1. Besides, PS3-1 significantly reduced the viability of S. Typhimurium in milk, lettuce, raw pork meat and ready-to-eat steamed-chicken breast at different temperatures (P < 0.05). These results demonstrated that PS3-1 may be an excellent antibacterial agent for controlling S. Typhimurium in food industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junxin Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330047, China; Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
| | - Yunzhi Lin
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
| | - Chen Wang
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
| | - Mahmoud Zayda
- Department of Food Hygiene and Control, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sadat City, 32897 Sadat City, Egypt
| | - Aye Thida Maung
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
| | - Tahir Noor Mohammadi
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
| | - Hoang Minh Duc
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
| | - Ping Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330047, China
| | - Maomao Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330047, China
| | - Deming Gong
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330047, China
| | - Jun Sato
- Safety Science Research, R&D, Kao Corporation, 2606 Akabane, Ichikai-Machi, Haga-Gun, Tochigi 321-3497, Japan
| | - Yoshimitsu Masuda
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
| | - Ken-Ichi Honjoh
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
| | - Takahisa Miyamoto
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan.
| | - Zheling Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330047, China.
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17
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Leavitt JC, Woodbury BM, Gilcrease EB, Bridges CM, Teschke CM, Casjens SR. Bacteriophage P22 SieA mediated superinfection exclusion. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.15.553423. [PMID: 37645741 PMCID: PMC10461980 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.15.553423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Many temperate phages encode prophage-expressed functions that interfere with superinfection of the host bacterium by external phages. Salmonella phage P22 has four such systems that are expressed from the prophage in a lysogen that are encoded by the c2 (repressor), gtrABC, sieA, and sieB genes. Here we report that the P22-encoded SieA protein is the only phage protein required for exclusion by the SieA system, and that it is an inner membrane protein that blocks DNA injection by P22 and its relatives, but has no effect on infection by other tailed phage types. The P22 virion injects its DNA through the host cell membranes and periplasm via a conduit assembled from three "ejection proteins" after their release from the virion. Phage P22 mutants were isolated that overcome the SieA block, and they have amino acid changes in the C-terminal regions of the gene 16 and 20 encoded ejection proteins. Three different single amino acid changes in these proteins are required to obtain nearly full resistance to SieA. Hybrid P22 phages that have phage HK620 ejection protein genes are also partially resistant to SieA. There are three sequence types of extant phage-encoded SieA proteins that are less than 30% identical to one another, yet comparison of two of these types found no differences in target specificity. Our data are consistent with a model in which the inner membrane protein SieA interferes with the assembly or function of the periplasmic gp20 and membrane-bound gp16 DNA delivery conduit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin C. Leavitt
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 USA
- Current address: Green Raccoon Scientific, Gunlock UT 84733 USA
| | - Brianna M. Woodbury
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
- Current address: York Structural Biology Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Eddie B. Gilcrease
- Division of Microbiology and Immunology, Pathology Department, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 USA
- Current address: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 USA
| | - Charles M. Bridges
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - Carolyn M. Teschke
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269 USA
| | - Sherwood R. Casjens
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 USA
- Division of Microbiology and Immunology, Pathology Department, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 USA
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18
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Dong Y, Huang Y, Fan H, Song L, An X, Xu S, Li M, Tong Y. Characterization, complete genome sequencing, and CRISPR/Cas9 system-based decontamination of a novel Escherichia coli phage TR1 from fermentation substrates. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1230775. [PMID: 37637117 PMCID: PMC10450929 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1230775] [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: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Phage contamination has become a major concern for industrial bacteria, such as Escherichia coli BL21(DE3), used in fermentation processes. Herein, we report a CRISPR/Cas9 defense system-based strategy to precisely prey and degrade phage DNA to decontaminate target phages. First, we isolated a novel phage from fermentation substrates with BL21(DE3) as the host, named TR1. It showed a typical podovirus morphology with a head diameter of 51.46 ± 2.04 nm and a tail length of 9.31 ± 2.77 nm. The burst size of phage TR1 was 151 PFU/cell, suggesting its strong fecundity in the fermentation system. Additionally, whole-genome sequencing revealed that phage TR1 has a DNA genome of 44,099 bp in length with a 43.8% GC content, encoding a total of 68 open reading frames. Comparative genomics and phylogenetic analysis designated this phage to be a new species of the genus Christensenvirus. To counteract phage TR1, we employed the CRISPR/Cas9 system-based strategy and constructed two phage-resistant E. coli strains, BL21-C and BL21-T, based on conserved genes. Both EOP assays and growth curves indicated strong phage resistance of the recombinant strains, without affecting cell growth. Therefore, this study aimed to provide a resilient strategy to respond to ever-changing phages and ongoing phage-host arm race in industrial fermentation environments by the personalized design of spacers in the recombinant CRISPR/Cas system-containing plasmid. More importantly, our research sparks the use of phage defense mechanism to prevent phage contamination in extensive biotechnological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuqi Dong
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Yunfei Huang
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Huahao Fan
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Lihua Song
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoping An
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Shan Xu
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Mengzhe Li
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
- Qinhuangdao Bohai Biological Research Institute, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Qinhuangdao, Hebei, China
| | - Yigang Tong
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
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19
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Zhu C, Li J, Liu Y, Jin F, Wang Z, Tong Y, Qin J, Fang B. Genomic analysis and characterization of bacteriophage vB_SpuS_NX263 infecting Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Pullorum. Arch Virol 2023; 168:216. [PMID: 37525023 DOI: 10.1007/s00705-023-05841-3] [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: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
In this study, a new Salmonella phage, NX263, was isolated from sewage. This phage could lyse 90.57% (48/53) of the bacterial strains tested and showed good activity over a wide range of temperature (up to 60°C) and pH (5-10). Phylogenetic analysis showed that it should be classified as a member of the genus Skatevirus. The genome of phage NX263 is 46,574 bp in length with a GC content of 45.52%. It contains 89 open reading frames and two tRNA genes. No lysogeny, drug resistance, or virulence-associated genes were identified in the genome sequence, suggesting that this phage could potentially be used to treat Salmonella Pullorum infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunyang Zhu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutics Development and Safety Evaluation, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
- National Risk Assessment Laboratory for Antimicrobial Resistance of Animal Original Bacteria, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jing Li
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Centre for Soft Matter Science and Engineering (BAIC-SM), College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, 100029, Beijing, China
| | - Yang Liu
- Wen's Foodstuffs Group Co., Ltd, Yunfu, 527439, China
| | - Fenhua Jin
- Guangdong Wens Dahuanong Biotechnology Co., Ltd, 527400, Yunfu, China
| | - Zhanxin Wang
- Wen's Foodstuffs Group Co., Ltd, Yunfu, 527439, China
| | - Yigang Tong
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Centre for Soft Matter Science and Engineering (BAIC-SM), College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, 100029, Beijing, China
| | - Jianping Qin
- Wen's Foodstuffs Group Co., Ltd, Yunfu, 527439, China.
| | - Binghu Fang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmaceutics Development and Safety Evaluation, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China.
- National Risk Assessment Laboratory for Antimicrobial Resistance of Animal Original Bacteria, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China.
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20
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Garrett SC, Philippe C, Kim JG, Wei Y, Johnson KA, Olson S, Graveley BR, Terns MP. Investigation of CRISPR-Independent Phage Resistance Mechanisms Reveals a Role for FtsH in Phage Adsorption to Streptococcus thermophilus. J Bacteriol 2023; 205:e0048222. [PMID: 37255445 PMCID: PMC10294649 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00482-22] [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: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Prokaryotes are under constant pressure from phage infection and thus have evolved multiple means of defense or evasion. While CRISPR-Cas constitutes a robust immune system and appears to be the predominant means of survival for Streptococcus thermophilus when facing lytic phage infection, other forms of phage resistance coexist in this species. Here, we show that S. thermophilus strains with deleted CRISPR-Cas loci can still give rise to phage-resistant clones following lytic phage challenge. Notably, non-CRISPR phage-resistant survivors had multiple mutations which would truncate or recode a membrane-anchored host protease, FtsH. Phage adsorption was dramatically reduced in FtsH mutants, implicating this protein in phage attachment. Phages were isolated which could bypass FtsH-based resistance through mutations predicted to alter tape measure protein translation. Together, these results identify key components in phage propagation that are subject to mutation in the molecular arms race between phage and host cell. IMPORTANCE Streptococcus thermophilus is an important organism for production of cultured dairy foods, but it is susceptible to lytic phages which can lead to failed products. Consequently, mechanisms for phage resistance are an active area of research. One such mechanism is CRISPR-Cas, and S. thermophilus is a model organism for the study of this form of adaptive immunity. Here, we expand on known mechanisms with our finding that spontaneous mutations in ftsH, a gene encoding a membrane-anchored protease, protected against phage infection by disrupting phage adsorption. In turn, mutations in phage tail protein genes allowed phages to overcome ftsH-based resistance. Our results identified components in phage propagation that are subject to mutation in the molecular arms race between phage and host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra C. Garrett
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Institute for Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
| | - Cecile Philippe
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia Athens, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Jenny G. Kim
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia Athens, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Yunzhou Wei
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia Athens, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Katie A. Johnson
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia Athens, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Sara Olson
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Institute for Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
| | - Brenton R. Graveley
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Institute for Systems Genomics, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
| | - Michael P. Terns
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia Athens, Athens, Georgia, USA
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia Athens, Athens, Georgia, USA
- Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia Athens, Athens, Georgia, USA
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21
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Huang Y, Sun H, Wei S, Cai L, Liu L, Jiang Y, Xin J, Chen Z, Que Y, Kong Z, Li T, Yu H, Zhang J, Gu Y, Zheng Q, Li S, Zhang R, Xia N. Structure and proposed DNA delivery mechanism of a marine roseophage. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3609. [PMID: 37330604 PMCID: PMC10276861 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39220-y] [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: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Tailed bacteriophages (order, Caudovirales) account for the majority of all phages. However, the long flexible tail of siphophages hinders comprehensive investigation of the mechanism of viral gene delivery. Here, we report the atomic capsid and in-situ structures of the tail machine of the marine siphophage, vB_DshS-R4C (R4C), which infects Roseobacter. The R4C virion, comprising 12 distinct structural protein components, has a unique five-fold vertex of the icosahedral capsid that allows genome delivery. The specific position and interaction pattern of the tail tube proteins determine the atypical long rigid tail of R4C, and further provide negative charge distribution within the tail tube. A ratchet mechanism assists in DNA transmission, which is initiated by an absorption device that structurally resembles the phage-like particle, RcGTA. Overall, these results provide in-depth knowledge into the intact structure and underlining DNA delivery mechanism for the ecologically important siphophages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Public Health, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
| | - Hui Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Public Health, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
| | - Shuzhen Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, Fujian Key Laboratory of Marine Carbon Sequestration, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
| | - Lanlan Cai
- Department of Ocean Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China
| | - Liqin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Public Health, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
| | - Yanan Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Public Health, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
| | - Jiabao Xin
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Public Health, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
| | - Zhenqin Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Public Health, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
| | - Yuqiong Que
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Public Health, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
| | - Zhibo Kong
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Public Health, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
| | - Tingting Li
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Public Health, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
| | - Hai Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Public Health, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
| | - Jun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Public Health, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
| | - Ying Gu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Public Health, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
| | - Qingbing Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Public Health, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China.
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China.
| | - Shaowei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Public Health, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China.
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China.
| | - Rui Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, Fujian Key Laboratory of Marine Carbon Sequestration, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China.
- Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China.
| | - Ningshao Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Public Health, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China.
- National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China.
- Research Unit of Frontier Technology of Structural Vaccinology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Xiamen, 361102, China.
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22
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Sultan-Alolama MI, Amin A, Vijayan R, El-Tarabily KA. Isolation, Characterization, and Comparative Genomic Analysis of Bacteriophage Ec_MI-02 from Pigeon Feces Infecting Escherichia coli O157:H7. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24119506. [PMID: 37298457 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24119506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The most significant serotype of Shiga-toxigenic Escherichia coli that causes foodborne illnesses is Escherichia coli O157:H7. Elimination of E. coli O157:H7 during food processing and storage is a possible solution. Bacteriophages have a significant impact on bacterial populations in nature due to their ability to lyse their bacterial host. In the current study, a virulent bacteriophage, Ec_MI-02, was isolated from the feces of a wild pigeon in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for potential future use as a bio-preservative or in phage therapy. Using a spot test and an efficiency of plating analysis, Ec_MI-02 was found to infect in addition to the propagation host, E. coli O157:H7 NCTC 12900, five different serotypes of E. coli O157:H7 (three clinical samples from infected patients, one from contaminated green salad, and one from contaminated ground beef). Based on morphology and genome analysis, Ec_MI-02 belongs to the genus Tequatrovirus under the order Caudovirales. The adsorption rate constant (K) of Ec_MI-02 was found to be 1.55 × 10-8 mL/min. The latent period was 50 min with a burst size of almost 10 plaque forming units (pfu)/host cell in the one-step growth curve when the phage Ec_MI-02 was cultivated using the propagation host E. coli O157:H7 NCTC 12900. Ec_MI-02 was found to be stable at a wide range of pH, temperature, and commonly used laboratory disinfectants. Its genome is 165,454 bp long with a GC content of 35.5% and encodes 266 protein coding genes. Ec_MI-02 has genes encoding for rI, rII, and rIII lysis inhibition proteins, which supports the observation of delayed lysis in the one-step growth curve. The current study provides additional evidence that wild birds could also be a good natural reservoir for bacteriophages that do not carry antibiotic resistance genes and could be good candidates for phage therapy. In addition, studying the genetic makeup of bacteriophages that infect human pathogens is crucial for ensuring their safe usage in the food industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamad Ismail Sultan-Alolama
- Zayed Complex for Herbal Research and Traditional Medicine, Research and Innovation Center, Department of Health, Abu Dhabi 5674, United Arab Emirates
- Department of Biology, College of Science, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
| | - Amr Amin
- Department of Biology, College of Science, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
| | - Ranjit Vijayan
- Department of Biology, College of Science, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
- The Big Data Analytics Center, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
- Zayed Center for Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 17666, United Arab Emirates
| | - Khaled A El-Tarabily
- Department of Biology, College of Science, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
- Khalifa Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
- Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia
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23
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Devlin T, Marx DC, Roskopf MA, Bubb QR, Plummer AM, Fleming KG. FkpA enhances membrane protein folding using an extensive interaction surface. Protein Sci 2023; 32:e4592. [PMID: 36775935 PMCID: PMC10031210 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4592] [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: 09/27/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/14/2023]
Abstract
Outer membrane protein (OMP) biogenesis in gram-negative bacteria is managed by a network of periplasmic chaperones that includes SurA, Skp, and FkpA. These chaperones bind unfolded OMPs (uOMPs) in dynamic conformational ensembles to suppress aggregation, facilitate diffusion across the periplasm, and enhance folding. FkpA primarily responds to heat-shock stress, but its mechanism is comparatively understudied. To determine FkpA chaperone function in the context of OMP folding, we monitored the folding of three OMPs and found that FkpA, unlike other periplasmic chaperones, increases the folded yield but decreases the folding rate of OMPs. The results indicate that FkpA behaves as a chaperone and not as a folding catalyst to influence the OMP folding trajectory. Consistent with the folding assay results, FkpA binds all three uOMPs as determined by sedimentation velocity (SV) and photo-crosslinking experiments. We determine the binding affinity between FkpA and uOmpA171 by globally fitting SV titrations and find it to be intermediate between the known affinities of Skp and SurA for uOMP clients. Notably, complex formation steeply depends on the urea concentration, suggesting an extensive binding interface. Initial characterizations of the complex using photo-crosslinking indicate that the binding interface spans the entire FkpA molecule. In contrast to prior findings, folding and binding experiments performed using subdomain constructs of FkpA demonstrate that the full-length chaperone is required for full activity. Together these results support that FkpA has a distinct and direct effect on OMP folding that it achieves by utilizing an extensive chaperone-client interface to tightly bind clients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor Devlin
- T.C. Jenkins Department of BiophysicsJohns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Dagan C. Marx
- T.C. Jenkins Department of BiophysicsJohns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Michaela A. Roskopf
- T.C. Jenkins Department of BiophysicsJohns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Quenton R. Bubb
- T.C. Jenkins Department of BiophysicsJohns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Ashlee M. Plummer
- T.C. Jenkins Department of BiophysicsJohns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Karen G. Fleming
- T.C. Jenkins Department of BiophysicsJohns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreMarylandUSA
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24
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Diversity-Generating Retroelements in Prokaryotic Immunity. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24065614. [PMID: 36982690 PMCID: PMC10053308 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24065614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Adaptive immunity systems found in different organisms fall into two major types. Prokaryotes possess CRISPR-Cas systems that recognize former invaders using memorized (captured) pieces of their DNA as pathogen signatures. Mammals possess a vast repertoire of antibodies and T-cell receptor variants generated in advance. In this second type of adaptive immunity, a pathogen presentation to the immune system specifically activates the cells that express matching antibodies or receptors. These cells proliferate to fight the infection and form the immune memory. The principle of preemptive production of diverse defense proteins for future use can hypothetically take place in microbes too. We propose a hypothesis that prokaryotes employ diversity-generating retroelements to prepare defense proteins against yet-unknown invaders. In this study, we test this hypothesis with the methods of bioinformatics and identify several candidate defense systems based on diversity-generating retroelements.
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25
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Sengupta S, Azad RK. Reconstructing horizontal gene flow network to understand prokaryotic evolution. Open Biol 2022; 12:220169. [PMID: 36446404 PMCID: PMC9708380 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.220169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is a major source of phenotypic innovation and a mechanism of niche adaptation in prokaryotes. Quantification of HGT is critical to decipher its myriad roles in microbial evolution and adaptation. Advances in genome sequencing and bioinformatics have augmented our ability to understand the microbial world, particularly the direct or indirect influence of HGT on diverse life forms. Methods for detecting HGT can be classified into phylogenetic-based and parametric or composition-based approaches. Here, we exploited the complementary strengths of both the approaches to construct a high confidence horizontal gene flow network. Our network is unique in its ability to detect the transfer of native genes of a genome to genomes from other taxa, thus establishing donor and recipient organisms (taxa), rather than through a post hoc analysis as is the practice with several other approaches. The scale-free horizontal gene flow network presented here provides new insights into modes of transfer for the exchange of genetic information and also illuminates differential gene flow across phyla.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soham Sengupta
- Department of Biological Sciences and BioDiscovery Institute, University of North Texas, Denton, TX 76203, USA
| | - Rajeev K. Azad
- Department of Biological Sciences and BioDiscovery Institute, University of North Texas, Denton, TX 76203, USA,Department of Mathematics, University of North Texas, Denton, TX 76203, USA
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26
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Sengupta S, Azad RK. Reconstructing horizontal gene flow network to understand prokaryotic evolution. Open Biol 2022. [PMID: 36446404 DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.c.6307519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is a major source of phenotypic innovation and a mechanism of niche adaptation in prokaryotes. Quantification of HGT is critical to decipher its myriad roles in microbial evolution and adaptation. Advances in genome sequencing and bioinformatics have augmented our ability to understand the microbial world, particularly the direct or indirect influence of HGT on diverse life forms. Methods for detecting HGT can be classified into phylogenetic-based and parametric or composition-based approaches. Here, we exploited the complementary strengths of both the approaches to construct a high confidence horizontal gene flow network. Our network is unique in its ability to detect the transfer of native genes of a genome to genomes from other taxa, thus establishing donor and recipient organisms (taxa), rather than through a post hoc analysis as is the practice with several other approaches. The scale-free horizontal gene flow network presented here provides new insights into modes of transfer for the exchange of genetic information and also illuminates differential gene flow across phyla.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soham Sengupta
- Department of Biological Sciences and BioDiscovery Institute, University of North Texas, Denton, TX 76203, USA
| | - Rajeev K Azad
- Department of Biological Sciences and BioDiscovery Institute, University of North Texas, Denton, TX 76203, USA.,Department of Mathematics, University of North Texas, Denton, TX 76203, USA
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27
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Bhattacharjee R, Nandi A, Sinha A, Kumar H, Mitra D, Mojumdar A, Patel P, Jha E, Mishra S, Rout PK, Panda PK, Suar M, Verma SK. Phage-tail-like bacteriocins as a biomedical platform to counter anti-microbial resistant pathogens. Biomed Pharmacother 2022; 155:113720. [PMID: 36162371 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.113720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Phage Tail Like bacteriocins (PTLBs) has been an area of interest in the last couple of years owing to their varied application against multi-drug resistant (MDR), anti-microbial resistant (AMR) pathogens and their evolutionary link with the dsDNA virus and bacteriophages. PTLBs are defective phages derived from Myoviridae and Siphoviridae phages, PTLBs are distinguished into R-type (Rigid type) characterized by a non-flexible contractile nanotube resembling Myoviridae phage contractile tails, and F-type (Flexible type) with a flexible non-contractile rod-like structure similar to Siphoviridae phages. In this review, we have discussed the structural association, mechanism, and characterization of PTLBs. Moreover, we have elucidated the symbiotic biological function and application of PTLBs against MDR and XDR pathogens and highlighted the evolutionary role of PTLBs. The difficulties that must be overcome to implement PTLBs clinically are also discussed. It is imperative that these issues be addressed by academics in future studies before being implemented in clinical settings. This article is novel in its way as it will not only provide us with a gateway that acts as a novel strategy for scholars to mitigate and control the uprising issue of AMR pathogens but also promote the development of clinical studies for PTLBs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahul Bhattacharjee
- KIIT School of Biotechnology, KIIT University, Bhubaneswar 751024, Odisha, India
| | - Aditya Nandi
- KIIT School of Biotechnology, KIIT University, Bhubaneswar 751024, Odisha, India
| | - Adrija Sinha
- KIIT School of Biotechnology, KIIT University, Bhubaneswar 751024, Odisha, India
| | - Hrithik Kumar
- School of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER)-Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695551, India
| | - Disha Mitra
- University of Calcutta, 92, APC Road, Kolkata 700009, India
| | - Abhik Mojumdar
- Center for Research Equipment, Korea Basic Science Institute (KBSI), Ochang Center, Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk 28119, Republic of Korea; Department of Bio-Analytical Science, University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon 34113, Republic of Korea
| | - Paritosh Patel
- KIIT School of Biotechnology, KIIT University, Bhubaneswar 751024, Odisha, India
| | - Ealisha Jha
- KIIT School of Biotechnology, KIIT University, Bhubaneswar 751024, Odisha, India
| | - Suman Mishra
- KIIT School of Biotechnology, KIIT University, Bhubaneswar 751024, Odisha, India
| | - Prabhat Kumar Rout
- KIIT School of Biotechnology, KIIT University, Bhubaneswar 751024, Odisha, India
| | - Pritam Kumar Panda
- Condensed Matter Theory Group, Materials Theory Division, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Uppsala University, Box 516, SE-751 20 Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Mrutyunjay Suar
- KIIT School of Biotechnology, KIIT University, Bhubaneswar 751024, Odisha, India.
| | - Suresh K Verma
- KIIT School of Biotechnology, KIIT University, Bhubaneswar 751024, Odisha, India; Condensed Matter Theory Group, Materials Theory Division, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Uppsala University, Box 516, SE-751 20 Uppsala, Sweden.
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28
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Phascinating Phages. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10071365. [PMID: 35889083 PMCID: PMC9320029 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10071365] [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: 06/14/2022] [Revised: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Treatment of infections caused by bacteria has become more complex due to the increasing number of bacterial strains that are resistant to conventional antimicrobial therapy. A highly promising alternative appears to be bacteriophage (phage) therapy, in which natural predators of bacteria, bacteriophages, play a role. Although these viruses were first discovered in 1917, the development of phage therapy was impacted by the discovery of antibiotics, which spread more quickly and effectively in medical practice. Despite this, phage therapy has a long history in Eastern Europe; however, Western countries are currently striving to reintroduce phage therapy as a tool in the fight against diseases caused by drug-resistant bacteria. This review describes phage biology, bacterial and phage competition mechanisms, and the benefits and drawbacks of phage therapy. The results of various laboratory experiments, and clinical cases where phage therapy was administered, are described.
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29
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Zhang X, Zhuang J, Huang L, Zhang X. Palmitic Amide Triggers Virus Life Cycle via Enhancing Host Energy Metabolism. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:924533. [PMID: 35756035 PMCID: PMC9224243 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.924533] [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: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Viruses contribute to the mortality of organisms, consequentially altering biological species composition of an ecosystem and having a threat on human health. As the most famous model for the initiation of virus infection, the Hershey-Chase experiment has revealed that on infection, the bacteriophage genomic DNA is injected into its host bacterium, while the viral capsid is left on the outer membrane of host cell. However, little is known about the injection of any other materials into the cytoplasm of host cells along with genomic DNA to trigger the virus life cycle. In this study, the results showed that palmitic amide packaged in the virions of GVE2, a bacteriophage infecting deep-sea hydrothermal vent thermophile Geobacillus sp. E263, promoted virus infection. Palmitic amide was interacted with acetate kinase to increase its enzymatic activity, thus enhancing the acetate-mediated energy metabolism. Furthermore, palmitic amide promoted tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA cycle) to support virus infection. These data indicated that palmitic amide, packaged in the virions, might serve as a second messenger at the initiation step of virus infection by enhancing the host energy metabolism. Therefore our study revealed a novel mechanism for the initiation of the virus life cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyi Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology of Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (Qingdao) and Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jianjian Zhuang
- College of Life Sciences, Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology of Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (Qingdao) and Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Liquan Huang
- College of Life Sciences, Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology of Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (Qingdao) and Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiaobo Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology of Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (Qingdao) and Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
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30
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Swanson NA, Hou CFD, Cingolani G. Viral Ejection Proteins: Mosaically Conserved, Conformational Gymnasts. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10030504. [PMID: 35336080 PMCID: PMC8954989 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10030504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Revised: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial viruses (or bacteriophages) have developed formidable ways to deliver their genetic information inside bacteria, overcoming the complexity of the bacterial-cell envelope. In short-tailed phages of the Podoviridae superfamily, genome ejection is mediated by a set of mysterious internal virion proteins, also called ejection or pilot proteins, which are required for infectivity. The ejection proteins are challenging to study due to their plastic structures and transient assembly and have remained less characterized than classical components such as the phage coat protein or terminase subunit. However, a spate of recent cryo-EM structures has elucidated key features underscoring these proteins' assembly and conformational gymnastics that accompany their expulsion from the virion head through the portal protein channel into the host. In this review, we will use a phage-T7-centric approach to critically review the status of the literature on ejection proteins, decipher the conformational changes of T7 ejection proteins in the pre- and post-ejection conformation, and predict the conservation of these proteins in other Podoviridae. The challenge is to relate the structure of the ejection proteins to the mechanisms of genome ejection, which are exceedingly complex and use the host's machinery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas A. Swanson
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, 1020 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA; (N.A.S.); (C.-F.D.H.)
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 31 Ames Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Chun-Feng D. Hou
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, 1020 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA; (N.A.S.); (C.-F.D.H.)
| | - Gino Cingolani
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, 1020 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA; (N.A.S.); (C.-F.D.H.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +01-(215)-503-4573
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31
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Vladimirov M, Gautam V, Davidson AR. Identification of the tail assembly chaperone genes of T4-Like phages suggests a mechanism other than translational frameshifting for biogenesis of their encoded proteins. Virology 2021; 566:9-15. [PMID: 34826709 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2021.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Revised: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Tape measure (TM) proteins are essential for the formation of long-tailed phages. TM protein assembly into tails requires the action of tail assembly chaperones (TACs). TACs (e.g. gpG and gpT of E. coli phage lambda) are usually produced in a short (TAC-N) and long form (TAC-NC) with the latter comprised of TAC-N with an additional C-terminal domain (TAC-C). TAC-NC is generally synthesized through a ribosomal frameshifting mechanism. TAC encoding genes have never been identified in the intensively studied Escherichia coli phage T4, or any related phages. Here, we have bioinformatically identified putative TAC encoding genes in diverse T4-like phage genomes. The frameshifting mechanism for producing TAC-NC appears to be conserved in several T4-like phage groups. However, the group including phage T4 itself likely employs a different strategy whereby TAC-N and TAC-NC are encoded by separate genes (26 and 51 in phage T4).
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Vladimirov
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Vasu Gautam
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Alan R Davidson
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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Improved bactericidal efficacy and thermostability of Staphylococcus aureus-specific bacteriophage SA3821 by repeated sodium pyrophosphate challenges. Sci Rep 2021; 11:22951. [PMID: 34824363 PMCID: PMC8616913 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-02446-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
As antibiotic resistance is being a threat to public health worldwide, bacteriophages are re-highlighted as alternative antimicrobials to fight with pathogens. Various wild-type phages isolated from diverse sources have been tested, but potential mutant phages generated by genome engineering or random mutagenesis are drawing increasing attention. Here, we applied a chelating agent, sodium pyrophosphate, to the staphylococcal temperate Siphoviridae phage SA3821 to introduce random mutations. Through 30 sequential sodium pyrophosphate challenges and random selections, the suspected mutant phage SA3821M was isolated. SA3821M maintained an intact virion morphology, but exhibited better bactericidal activity against its host Staphylococcous aureus CCARM 3821 for up to 17 h and thermostability than its parent, SA3821. Sodium pyrophosphate-mediated mutations in SA3821M were absent in lysogenic development genes but concentrated (83.9%) in genes related to the phage tail, particularly in the tail tape measure protein, indicating that changes in the tail module might have been responsible for the altered traits. This intentional random mutagenesis through controlled treatments with sodium pyrophosphate could be applied to other phages as a simple but potent method to improve their traits as alternative antimicrobials.
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Egido JE, Costa AR, Aparicio-Maldonado C, Haas PJ, Brouns SJJ. Mechanisms and clinical importance of bacteriophage resistance. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2021; 46:6374866. [PMID: 34558600 PMCID: PMC8829019 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuab048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
We are in the midst of a golden age of uncovering defense systems against bacteriophages. Apart from the fundamental interest in these defense systems, and revolutionary applications that have been derived from them (e.g. CRISPR-Cas9 and restriction endonucleases), it is unknown how defense systems contribute to resistance formation against bacteriophages in clinical settings. Bacteriophages are now being reconsidered as therapeutic agents against bacterial infections due the emergence of multidrug resistance. However, bacteriophage resistance through defense systems and other means could hinder the development of successful phage-based therapies. Here, we review the current state of the field of bacteriophage defense, highlight the relevance of bacteriophage defense for potential clinical use of bacteriophages as therapeutic agents and suggest new directions of research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia E Egido
- Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584 CX Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Ana Rita Costa
- Department of Bionanoscience, Delft University of Technology, van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ Delft, Netherlands.,Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft, Netherlands.,Fagenbank, Delft, Netherlands
| | - Cristian Aparicio-Maldonado
- Department of Bionanoscience, Delft University of Technology, van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ Delft, Netherlands.,Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft, Netherlands
| | - Pieter-Jan Haas
- Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584 CX Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Stan J J Brouns
- Department of Bionanoscience, Delft University of Technology, van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ Delft, Netherlands.,Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft, Netherlands.,Fagenbank, Delft, Netherlands
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Miroshnikov KA, Evseev PV, Lukianova AA, Ignatov AN. Tailed Lytic Bacteriophages of Soft Rot Pectobacteriaceae. Microorganisms 2021; 9:1819. [PMID: 34576713 PMCID: PMC8472413 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9091819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Revised: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The study of the ecological and evolutionary traits of Soft Rot Pectobacteriaceae (SRP) comprising genera Pectobacterium and Dickeya often involves bacterial viruses (bacteriophages). Bacteriophages are considered to be a prospective tool for the ecologically safe and highly specific protection of plants and harvests from bacterial diseases. Information concerning bacteriophages has been growing rapidly in recent years, and this has included new genomics-based principles of taxonomic distribution. In this review, we summarise the data on phages infecting Pectobacterium and Dickeya that are available in publications and genomic databases. The analysis highlights not only major genomic properties that assign phages to taxonomic families and genera, but also the features that make them potentially suitable for phage control applications. Specifically, there is a discussion of the molecular mechanisms of receptor recognition by the phages and problems concerning the evolution of phage-resistant mutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konstantin A Miroshnikov
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Miklukho-Maklaya Str., 16/10, 117997 Moscow, Russia
- Timiryazev Agricultural Academy, Russian State Agrarian University, Timiryazevskaya Str., 49, 127434 Moscow, Russia
| | - Peter V Evseev
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Miklukho-Maklaya Str., 16/10, 117997 Moscow, Russia
| | - Anna A Lukianova
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Miklukho-Maklaya Str., 16/10, 117997 Moscow, Russia
- Timiryazev Agricultural Academy, Russian State Agrarian University, Timiryazevskaya Str., 49, 127434 Moscow, Russia
- Department of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory, 1, bldg. 12, 119234 Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexander N Ignatov
- Timiryazev Agricultural Academy, Russian State Agrarian University, Timiryazevskaya Str., 49, 127434 Moscow, Russia
- Agrobiotechnology Department, Agrarian and Technological Institute, RUDN University, Miklukho-Maklaya Str., 6, 117198 Moscow, Russia
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The Effects of Packaged, but Misguided, Single-Stranded DNA Genomes Are Transmitted to the Outer Surface of the ϕX174 Capsid. J Virol 2021; 95:e0088321. [PMID: 34232738 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00883-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Most icosahedral viruses condense their genomes into volumetrically constrained capsids. However, concurrent genome biosynthesis and packaging are specific to single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) viruses. ssDNA genome packaging combines elements found in both double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) and ssRNA systems. Similar to dsDNA viruses, the genome is packaged into a preformed capsid. Like ssRNA viruses, there are numerous capsid-genome associations. In ssDNA microviruses, the DNA-binding protein J guides the genome between 60 icosahedrally ordered DNA binding pockets. It also partially neutralizes the DNA's negative phosphate backbone. ϕX174-related microviruses, such as G4 and α3, have J proteins that differ in length and charge organization. This suggests that interchanging J proteins could alter the path used to guide DNA in the capsid. Previously, a ϕXG4J chimera, in which the ϕX174 J gene was replaced with the G4 gene, was characterized. It displayed lethal packaging defects, which resulted in procapsids being removed from productive assembly. Here, we report the characterization of another inviable chimera, ϕXα3J. Unlike ϕXG4J, ϕXα3J efficiently packaged DNA but produced noninfectious particles. These particles displayed a reduced ability to attach to host cells, suggesting that internal DNA organization could distort the capsid's outer surface. Mutations that restored viability altered J-coat protein contact sites. These results provide evidence that the organization of ssDNA can affect both packaging and postpackaging phenomena. IMPORTANCE ssDNA viruses utilize icosahedrally ordered protein-nucleic acids interactions to guide and organize their genomes into preformed shells. As previously demonstrated, chaotic genome-capsid associations can inhibit ϕX174 packaging by destabilizing packaging complexes. However, the consequences of poorly organized genomes may extend beyond the packaging reaction. As demonstrated herein, it can lead to uninfectious packaged particles. Thus, ssDNA genomes should be considered an integral and structural virion component, affecting the properties of the entire particle, which includes the capsid's outer surface.
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Investigating the process of sheath maturation in Anti-feeding prophage- a phage tail-like protein translocation structure. J Bacteriol 2021; 203:e0010421. [PMID: 34370558 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00104-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The Anti-feeding prophage (Afp) produced by the bacterium Serratia entomophila is the archetype, external contractile injection system (eCIS). Afp and its orthologues are characterized by three sheath proteins while contractile bacteriophages and pyocins encode only one. Using targeted mutagenesis, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and pull-down studies, we interrogated the roles of the three sheath proteins (Afp2, Afp3 and Afp4) in Afp assembly, in particular, the interaction between the two sequence-related helical-sheath forming proteins Afp2 and Afp3 and their cross-talks with the tail termination sheath capping protein (Trp) Afp16 in the sheath maturation process. The expressed assemblies for afp2- mutant were mostly a mixture of isolated tail fibres, detached baseplates without tail fibres and sheath-less, inner tube baseplate complexes (TBC) of length similar to that in mature Afp, which were surrounded in many cases by fibrillar polymerized material. In the afp3- mutant, variable length TBC with similar but shorter length fibrillar polymerized material, largely bereft of tail-fibres, were observed; while, only detached baseplate assemblies were seen for the afp4- mutant. Further, we found that a) only trans complementation of afp2 with its mutated counterpart restored mature Afp particles with full biological activity, b) purified Afp3 pulled down Afp2 by forming a SDS-resistant complex but not vice versa, c) Afp16 had a greater affinity for binding Afp2 or Afp3 than Afp4 and d) Afp4 is required for the association of the polymerized sheath on the baseplate via Afp2. A proposed model for sheath maturation and assembly in Afp is presented. Importance Members of the contractile bacteriophage related but evolutionarily divergent, eCIS contain not one but three sheath proteins - two of which, namely Afp2 and Afp3 in the Afp, arranged as alternate hexameric stacks constitute the helical sheath. We revealed that Afp2 and Afp3 even though they are highly similar, possess markedly distinct, crucial roles in Afp assembly. We find that Afp3, by virtue of its interaction with the tail terminating protein Afp16, regulates tube and sheath length while Afp2 is critical to proper sheath polymerisation and assembly of the baseplate. The resulting model for the Afp assembly will further guide in the manipulation of Afp and its related eCISs as nano delivery vehicles for pest control and phage therapy.
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Gabashvili E, Kobakhidze S, Koulouris S, Robinson T, Kotetishvili M. Bi- and Multi-directional Gene Transfer in the Natural Populations of Polyvalent Bacteriophages, and Their Host Species Spectrum Representing Foodborne Versus Other Human and/or Animal Pathogens. FOOD AND ENVIRONMENTAL VIROLOGY 2021; 13:179-202. [PMID: 33484405 DOI: 10.1007/s12560-021-09460-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2020] [Accepted: 01/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Unraveling the trends of phage-host versus phage-phage coevolution is critical for avoiding possible undesirable outcomes from the use of phage preparations intended for therapeutic, food safety or environmental safety purposes. We aimed to investigate a phenomenon of intergeneric recombination and its trajectories across the natural populations of phages predominantly linked to foodborne pathogens. The results from the recombination analyses, using a large array of the recombination detection algorithms imbedded in SplitsTree, RDP4, and Simplot software packages, provided strong evidence (fit: 100; P ≤ 0.014) for both bi- and multi-directional intergeneric recombination of the genetic loci involved collectively in phage morphogenesis, host specificity, virulence, replication, and persistence. Intergeneric recombination was determined to occur not only among conspecifics of the virulent versus temperate phages but also between the phages with these different lifestyles. The recombining polyvalent phages were suggested to interact with fairly large host species networks, including sometimes genetically very distinct species, such as e.g., Salmonella enterica and/or Escherichia coli versus Staphylococcus aureus or Yersinia pestis. Further studies are needed to understand whether phage-driven intergeneric recombination can lead to undesirable changes of intestinal and other microbiota in humans and animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ekaterine Gabashvili
- School of Natural Sciences and Medicine, Ilia State University, 1 Giorgi Tsereteli exit, 0162, Tbilisi, Georgia
- Division of Risk Assessment, Scientific-Research Center of Agriculture, 6 Marshal Gelovani ave., 0159, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Saba Kobakhidze
- Division of Risk Assessment, Scientific-Research Center of Agriculture, 6 Marshal Gelovani ave., 0159, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Stylianos Koulouris
- Engagement and Cooperation Unit, European Food Safety Authority, Via Carlo Magno 1A, 43126, Parma, Italy
| | - Tobin Robinson
- Scientific Committee, and Emerging Risks Unit, European Food Safety Authority, Via Carlo Magno 1A, 43126, Parma, Italy
| | - Mamuka Kotetishvili
- Division of Risk Assessment, Scientific-Research Center of Agriculture, 6 Marshal Gelovani ave., 0159, Tbilisi, Georgia.
- Hygiene and Medical Ecology, G. Natadze Scientific-Research Institute of Sanitation, 78 D. Uznadze St., 0102, Tbilisi, Georgia.
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38
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Isaev AB, Musharova OS, Severinov KV. Microbial Arsenal of Antiviral Defenses - Part I. BIOCHEMISTRY (MOSCOW) 2021; 86:319-337. [PMID: 33838632 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297921030081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Bacteriophages or phages are viruses that infect bacterial cells (for the scope of this review we will also consider viruses that infect Archaea). Constant threat of phage infection is a major force that shapes evolution of the microbial genomes. To withstand infection, bacteria had evolved numerous strategies to avoid recognition by phages or to directly interfere with phage propagation inside the cell. Classical molecular biology and genetic engineering have been deeply intertwined with the study of phages and host defenses. Nowadays, owing to the rise of phage therapy, broad application of CRISPR-Cas technologies, and development of bioinformatics approaches that facilitate discovery of new systems, phage biology experiences a revival. This review describes variety of strategies employed by microbes to counter phage infection, with a focus on novel systems discovered in recent years. First chapter covers defense associated with cell surface, role of small molecules, and innate immunity systems relying on DNA modification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Artem B Isaev
- Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, 143028, Russia.
| | - Olga S Musharova
- Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, 143028, Russia. .,Institute of Molecular Genetics, Moscow, 119334, Russia
| | - Konstantin V Severinov
- Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, 143028, Russia. .,Waksman Institute of Microbiology, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
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A PolyQ Membrane Protein of Vibrio cholerae Acts as the Receptor for Phage Infection. J Virol 2021; 95:JVI.02245-20. [PMID: 33408174 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.02245-20] [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: 11/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophage VP1 is a typing phage used for the phage subtyping of Vibrio cholerae O1 biotype El Tor, but the molecular mechanisms of its receptor recognition and the resistance of its host to infection are mostly unknown. In this study, we aimed to identify the host receptor and its role in resistance in natural VP1-resistant strains. Generating spontaneous resistance mutations and genome sequencing mutant strains found the polyQ protein VcpQ, which carries 46 glutamine residues in its Q-rich region, to be responsible for infection by VP1. VcpQ is a membrane protein and possibly forms homotrimers. VP1 adsorbed to V. cholerae through VcpQ. Sequence comparisons showed that 72% of natural VP1-resistant strains have fewer glutamines in the VcpQ Q-rich stretch than VP1-sensitive strains. This difference did not affect the membrane location and oligomer of VcpQ but abrogated VP1 adsorption. These mutant VcpQs did not recover VP1 infection sensitivity in a V. cholerae strain with vcpQ deleted. Our study revealed that the polyQ protein VcpQ is responsible for the binding of VP1 during its infection of V. cholerae and that glutamine residue reduction in VcpQ affects VP1 adsorption to likely be the main cause of VP1 resistance in natural resistant strains. The physiological functions of this polyQ protein in bacteria need further clarification; however, mutations in the polyQ stretch may endow V. cholerae with phage resistance and enhance survival against VP1 or related phages.IMPORTANCE Receptor recognition and binding by bacteriophage are the first step for its infection of bacterial cells. In this study, we found the Vibrio cholerae subtyping phage VP1 uses a polyQ protein named VcpQ (V. cholerae polyQ protein) as the receptor for VP1 infection. Our study reveals the receptor's recognition of phage VP1 during its adsorption and the VP1 resistance mechanism of the wild resistant V. cholerae strains bearing the mutagenesis in the receptor VcpQ. These mutations may confer the survival advantage on these resistant strains in the environment containing VP1 or its similar phages.
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40
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Zhang X, Zhang F, Mi Y, Liu Y, Zheng K, Zhou Y, Jiang T, Wang M, Jiang Y, Guo C, Shao H, He H, He J, Liang Y, Wang M, McMinn A. Characterization and genome analysis of phage AL infecting Pseudoalteromonas marina. Virus Res 2021; 295:198265. [PMID: 33550041 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2020.198265] [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: 07/08/2020] [Revised: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Although Pseudoalteromonas is an abundant, ubiquitous, marine algae-associated bacterial genus, there is still little information on their phages. In the present study, a marine phage AL, infecting Pseudoalteromonas marina, was isolated from the coastal waters off Qingdao. The AL phage is a siphovirus with an icosahedral head of 53 ± 1 nm and a non-contractile tail, length of 99 ± 1 nm. A one-step growth curve showed that the latent period was approximately 70 min, the rise period was 50 min, and the burst size was 227 pfu/cell. The genome sequence of this phage is a 33,582 bp double-stranded DNA molecule with a GC content of 40.1 %, encoding 52 open reading frames (ORFs). The order of the functional genes, especially those related to the structure module, is highly conserved and basically follows the common pattern used by siphovirus. The stable order has been formed during the long-term evolution of phages in the siphovirus group, which has helped the phages to maintain their normal morphology and function. Phylogenetic trees based on the major capsid protein (mcp) and genome-wide sequence have shown that the AL phage is closely related to four Pseudoalteromonas phages, including PHS21, PHS3, SL25 and Pq0. Further analysis using all-to-all BLASTP also confirmed that this phage shared high sequence homology with the same four Pseudoalteromonas phages, with amino acid sequence identities ranging from 44 % to 71 %. In particular, their similarity in virion structure module may imply that these phages share common assembly mechanism characteristics and infection pathways. Pseudoalteromonas phage AL not only provides basic information for the further study of the evolution of Pseudoalteromonas phages and interactions between marine phage and host but also helps to explain the unknown viral sequences in the metagenomic databases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinran Zhang
- College of Marine Life Sciences and Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Fang Zhang
- The Key Laboratory for Polar Science MNR, Polar Research Institute of China, Shanghai, 200136, China
| | - Ye Mi
- Qingdao City Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Qingdao Institute of Prevention Medicine, Qingdao, Shandong, 266033, China
| | - Yundan Liu
- College of Marine Life Sciences and Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Kaiyang Zheng
- College of Marine Life Sciences and Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Yao Zhou
- College of Marine Life Sciences and Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Tong Jiang
- College of Marine Life Sciences and Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Meiwen Wang
- College of Marine Life Sciences and Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Yong Jiang
- College of Marine Life Sciences and Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Cui Guo
- College of Marine Life Sciences and Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Hongbing Shao
- College of Marine Life Sciences and Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Hui He
- College of Marine Life Sciences and Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Jianfeng He
- The Key Laboratory for Polar Science MNR, Polar Research Institute of China, Shanghai, 200136, China
| | - Yantao Liang
- College of Marine Life Sciences and Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China.
| | - Min Wang
- College of Marine Life Sciences and Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China.
| | - Andrew McMinn
- College of Marine Life Sciences and Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China; Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia
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41
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Structure, function and assembly of the long, flexible tail of siphophages. Curr Opin Virol 2020; 45:34-42. [DOI: 10.1016/j.coviro.2020.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2020] [Revised: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 06/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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42
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Jeckelmann JM, Erni B. The mannose phosphotransferase system (Man-PTS) - Mannose transporter and receptor for bacteriocins and bacteriophages. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2020; 1862:183412. [PMID: 32710850 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2020.183412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Revised: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Mannose transporters constitute a superfamily (Man-PTS) of the Phosphoenolpyruvate Carbohydrate Phosphotransferase System (PTS). The membrane complexes are homotrimers of protomers consisting of two subunits, IIC and IID. The two subunits without recognizable sequence similarity assume the same fold, and in the protomer are structurally related by a two fold pseudosymmetry axis parallel to membrane-plane (Liu et al. (2019) Cell Research 29 680). Two reentrant loops and two transmembrane helices of each subunit together form the N-terminal transport domain. Two three-helix bundles, one of each subunit, form the scaffold domain. The protomer is stabilized by a helix swap between these bundles. The two C-terminal helices of IIC mediate the interprotomer contacts. PTS occur in bacteria and archaea but not in eukaryotes. Man-PTS are abundant in Gram-positive bacteria living on carbohydrate rich mucosal surfaces. A subgroup of IICIID complexes serve as receptors for class IIa bacteriocins and as channel for the penetration of bacteriophage lambda DNA across the inner membrane. Some Man-PTS are associated with host-pathogen and -symbiont processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Marc Jeckelmann
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Bernhard Erni
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
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43
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Guerin E, Hill C. Shining Light on Human Gut Bacteriophages. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:481. [PMID: 33014897 PMCID: PMC7511551 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.00481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The human gut is a complex environment that contains a multitude of microorganisms that are collectively termed the microbiome. Multiple factors have a role to play in driving the composition of human gut bacterial communities either toward homeostasis or the instability that is associated with many disease states. One of the most important forces are likely to be bacteriophages, bacteria-infecting viruses that constitute by far the largest portion of the human gut virome. Despite this, bacteriophages (phages) are the one of the least studied residents of the gut. This is largely due to the challenges associated with studying these difficult to culture entities. Modern high throughput sequencing technologies have played an important role in improving our understanding of the human gut phageome but much of the generated sequencing data remains uncharacterised. Overcoming this requires database-independent bioinformatic pipelines and even those phages that are successfully characterized only provide limited insight into their associated biological properties, and thus most viral sequences have been characterized as “viral dark matter.” Fundamental to understanding the role of phages in shaping the human gut microbiome, and in turn perhaps influencing human health, is how they interact with their bacterial hosts. An essential aspect is the isolation of novel phage-bacteria host pairs by direct isolation through various screening methods, which can transform in silico phages into a biological reality. However, this is also beset with multiple challenges including culturing difficulties and the use of traditional methods, such as plaquing, which may bias which phage-host pairs that can be successfully isolated. Phage-bacteria interactions may be influenced by many aspects of complex human gut biology which can be difficult to reproduce under laboratory conditions. Here we discuss some of the main findings associated with the human gut phageome to date including composition, our understanding of phage-host interactions, particularly the observed persistence of virulent phages and their hosts, as well as factors that may influence these highly intricate relationships. We also discuss current methodologies and bottlenecks hindering progression in this field and identify potential steps that may be useful in overcoming these hurdles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Guerin
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.,School of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Colin Hill
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.,School of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
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44
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Askora A, El-Telbany M, El-Didamony G, Ariny E, Askoura M. Characterization of φEf-vB1 prophage infecting oral Enterococcus faecalis and enhancing bacterial biofilm formation. J Med Microbiol 2020; 69:1151-1168. [PMID: 32840477 DOI: 10.1099/jmm.0.001246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction. Enterococcus faecalis is a facultative, anaerobic, opportunistic pathogen associated with medical and dental diseases. Bacterial phenotypic traits and pathogenesis are often influenced by lysogeny.Aim. The aim of this study was to characterize both the morphology and complete genome sequences of induced prophages purified from E. faecalis clinical isolates.Methodology. E. faecalis isolates were recovered from the roots of teeth of patients attending an endodontic clinic. The morphological features of isolated phage were characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). DNA sequencing was performed using the Illumina MiSeq platform.Results. TEM indicated that the isolated φEf-vB1 prophage belongs to the family Siphoviridae. The φEf-vB1 prophage was stable over a wide range of temperatures and pH. Sequencing of φEf-vB1 DNA revealed that the phage genome is 37 561 bp in length with a G+C content of 37.6mol% and contained 53 ORFs. Comparison with previously predicted prophage genomes using blast revealed that φEf-vB1 has a high sequence similarity to previously characterized phage genomes. The lysogenic E. faecalis strain exhibited a higher biofilm formation capacity relative to the non-lysogenic strain.Conclusion. The current findings highlight the role of lysogeny in modification of E. faecalis properties and reveal the potential importance of prophages in E. faecalis biology and pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Askora
- Department of Microbiology and Botany, Faculty of Science, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt
| | - Mohamed El-Telbany
- Department of Microbiology and Botany, Faculty of Science, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt
| | - Gamal El-Didamony
- Department of Microbiology and Botany, Faculty of Science, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt
| | - Eman Ariny
- Department of Microbiology and Botany, Faculty of Science, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt
| | - Momen Askoura
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44519, Egypt
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45
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The Concerted Action of Two B3-Like Prophage Genes Excludes Superinfecting Bacteriophages by Blocking DNA Entry into Pseudomonas aeruginosa. J Virol 2020; 94:JVI.00953-20. [PMID: 32461312 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00953-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2020] [Accepted: 05/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, we describe seven vegetative phage genomes homologous to the historic phage B3 that infect Pseudomonas aeruginosa Like other phage groups, the B3-like group contains conserved (core) and variable (accessory) open reading frames (ORFs) grouped at fixed regions in their genomes; however, in either case, many ORFs remain without assigned functions. We constructed lysogens of the seven B3-like phages in strain Ps33 of P. aeruginosa, a novel clinical isolate, and assayed the exclusion phenotype against a variety of temperate and virulent superinfecting phages. In addition to the classic exclusion conferred by the phage immunity repressor, the phenotype observed in B3-like lysogens suggested the presence of other exclusion genes. We set out to identify the genes responsible for this exclusion phenotype. Phage Ps56 was chosen as the study subject since it excluded numerous temperate and virulent phages. Restriction of the Ps56 genome, cloning of several fragments, and resection of the fragments that retained the exclusion phenotype allowed us to identify two core ORFs, so far without any assigned function, as responsible for a type of exclusion. Neither gene expressed separately from plasmids showed activity, but the concurrent expression of both ORFs is needed for exclusion. Our data suggest that phage adsorption occurs but that phage genome translocation to the host's cytoplasm is defective. To our knowledge, this is the first report on this type of exclusion mediated by a prophage in P. aeruginosa IMPORTANCE Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a Gram-negative bacterium frequently isolated from infected immunocompromised patients, and the strains are resistant to a broad spectrum of antibiotics. Recently, the use of phages has been proposed as an alternative therapy against multidrug-resistant bacteria. However, this approach may present various hurdles. This work addresses the problem that pathogenic bacteria may be lysogenized by phages carrying genes encoding resistance against secondary infections, such as those used in phage therapy. Discovering phage genes that exclude superinfecting phages not only assigns novel functions to orphan genes in databases but also provides insight into selection of the proper phages for use in phage therapy.
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Venturini C, Ben Zakour NL, Bowring B, Morales S, Cole R, Kovach Z, Branston S, Kettle E, Thomson N, Iredell JR. Fine capsule variation affects bacteriophage susceptibility in Klebsiella pneumoniae ST258. FASEB J 2020; 34:10801-10817. [PMID: 32598522 DOI: 10.1096/fj.201902735r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Revised: 05/27/2020] [Accepted: 06/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Multidrug resistant (MDR) carbapenemase-producing (CP) Klebsiella pneumoniae, belonging to clonal group CG258, is capable of causing severe disease in humans and is classified as an urgent threat by health agencies worldwide. Bacteriophages are being actively explored as therapeutic alternatives to antibiotics. In an effort to define a robust experimental approach for effective selection of lytic viruses for therapy, we have fully characterized the genomes of 18 Kumoniae target strains and tested them against novel lytic bacteriophages (n = 65). The genomes of K pneumoniae carrying blaNDM and blaKPC were sequenced and CG258 isolates selected for bacteriophage susceptibility testing. The local K pneumoniae CG258 population was dominated by sequence type ST258 clade 1 (86%) with variations in capsular locus (cps) and prophage content. CG258-specific bacteriophages primarily targeted the capsule, but successful infection is also likely blocked in some by immunity conferred by existing prophages. Five tailed bacteriophages against K pneumoniae ST258 clade 1 were selected for further characterization. Our findings show that effective control of K pneumoniae CG258 with bacteriophage will require mixes of diverse lytic viruses targeting relevant cps variants and allowing for variable prophage content. These insights will facilitate identification and selection of therapeutic bacteriophage candidates against this serious pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carola Venturini
- Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, The Westmead Institute for Medical Research (WIMR), Westmead, NSW, Australia.,School of Medicine, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Nouri L Ben Zakour
- Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, The Westmead Institute for Medical Research (WIMR), Westmead, NSW, Australia.,School of Medicine, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Bethany Bowring
- Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, The Westmead Institute for Medical Research (WIMR), Westmead, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Robert Cole
- AmpliPhi Australia Pty Ltd, Brookvale, NSW, Australia
| | | | | | - Emma Kettle
- Westmead Research Hub Electron Microscope Core Facility, The Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Westmead, NSW, Australia
| | - Nicholas Thomson
- The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK.,The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Jonathan R Iredell
- Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, The Westmead Institute for Medical Research (WIMR), Westmead, NSW, Australia.,School of Medicine, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Westmead Hospital, Western Sydney Local Health District (WSLHD), Sydney, NSW, Australia
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47
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Mutagenic Analysis of a DNA Translocating Tube's Interior Surface. Viruses 2020; 12:v12060670. [PMID: 32580341 PMCID: PMC7354561 DOI: 10.3390/v12060670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2020] [Revised: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 06/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophage ϕX174 uses a decamer of DNA piloting proteins to penetrate its host. These proteins oligomerize into a cell wall-spanning tube, wide enough for genome passage. While the inner surface of the tube is primarily lined with inward-facing amino acid side chains containing amide and guanidinium groups, there is a 28 Å-long section near the tube’s C-terminus that does not exhibit this motif. The majority of the inward-facing residues in this region are conserved across the three ϕX174-like clades, suggesting that they play an important role during genome delivery. To test this hypothesis, and explore the general function of the tube’s inner surface, non-glutamine residues within this region were mutated to glutamine, while existing glutamine residues were changed to serine. Four of the resulting mutants had temperature-dependent phenotypes. Virion assembly, host attachment, and virion eclipse, defined as the cell’s ability to inactivate the virus, were not affected. Genome delivery, however, was inhibited. The results support a model in which a balance of forces governs genome delivery: potential energy provided by the densely packaged viral genome and/or an osmotic gradient move the genome into the cell, while the tube’s inward facing glutamine residues exert a frictional force, or drag, that controls genome release.
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Genome-wide screens reveal Escherichia coli genes required for growth of T1-like phage LL5 and V5-like phage LL12. Sci Rep 2020; 10:8058. [PMID: 32415154 PMCID: PMC7229145 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-64981-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2019] [Accepted: 04/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The host factor requirements of phages and mechanisms of mutational phage insensitivity must be characterized for rational design of phage cocktails. To characterize host dependencies of two novel Escherichia coli phages, the T1-like siphophage LL5 and the V5-like myophage LL12, forward genetic screens were conducted against the Keio collection, a library of single non-essential gene deletions in E. coli str. BW25113. These screens and subsequent experiments identified genes required by phages LL5 and LL12. E. coli mutants deficient in heptose II and the phosphoryl substituent of heptose I of the inner core lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were unable to propagate phage LL5, as were mutants deficient in the outer membrane protein TolC. Mutants lacking glucose I of the LPS outer core failed to propagate LL12. Two additional genes encoding cytoplasmic chaperones, PpiB and SecB, were found to be required for efficient propagation of phage LL5, but not LL12. This screening approach may be useful for identifying host factors dependencies of phages, which would provide valuable information for their potential use as therapeutics and for phage engineering.
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49
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Transporters of glucose and other carbohydrates in bacteria. Pflugers Arch 2020; 472:1129-1153. [PMID: 32372286 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-020-02379-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2019] [Revised: 04/01/2020] [Accepted: 04/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Glucose arguably is the most important energy carrier, carbon source for metabolites and building block for biopolymers in all kingdoms of life. The proper function of animal organs and tissues depends on the continuous supply of glucose from the bloodstream. Most animals can resorb only a small number of monosaccharides, mostly glucose, galactose and fructose, while all other sugars oligosaccharides and dietary fibers are degraded and metabolized by the microbiota of the lower intestine. Bacteria, in contrast, are omnivorous. They can import and metabolize structurally different sugars and, as a consortium of different species, utilize almost any sugar, sugar derivative and oligosaccharide occurring in nature. Bacteria have membrane transport systems for the uptake of sugars against steep concentration gradients energized by ATP, the proton motive force and the high energy glycolytic intermediate phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP). Different uptake mechanisms and the broad range of overlapping substrate specificities allow bacteria to quickly adapt to and colonize changing environments. Here, we review the structures and mechanisms of bacterial representatives of (i) ATP-dependent cassette (ABC) transporters, (ii) major facilitator (MFS) superfamily proton symporters, (iii) sodium solute symporters (SSS) and (iv) enzyme II integral membrane subunits of the bacterial PEP-dependent phosphotransferase system (PTS). We give a short overview on the distribution of transporter genes and their phylogenetic relationship in different bacterial species. Some sugar transporters are hijacked for import of bacteriophage DNA and antibacterial toxins (bacteriocins) and they facilitate the penetration of polar antibiotics. Finally, we describe how the expression and activity of certain sugar transporters are controlled in response to the availability of sugars and how the presence and uptake of sugars may affect pathogenicity and host-microbiota interactions.
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Goulet A, Spinelli S, Mahony J, Cambillau C. Conserved and Diverse Traits of Adhesion Devices from Siphoviridae Recognizing Proteinaceous or Saccharidic Receptors. Viruses 2020; 12:E512. [PMID: 32384698 PMCID: PMC7291167 DOI: 10.3390/v12050512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Revised: 05/02/2020] [Accepted: 05/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophages can play beneficial roles in phage therapy and destruction of food pathogens. Conversely, they play negative roles as they infect bacteria involved in fermentation, resulting in serious industrial losses. Siphoviridae phages possess a long non-contractile tail and use a mechanism of infection whose first step is host recognition and binding. They have evolved adhesion devices at their tails' distal end, tuned to recognize specific proteinaceous or saccharidic receptors on the host's surface that span a large spectrum of shapes. In this review, we aimed to identify common patterns beyond this apparent diversity. To this end, we analyzed siphophage tail tips or baseplates, evaluating their known structures, where available, and uncovering patterns with bioinformatics tools when they were not. It was thereby identified that a triad formed by three proteins in complex, i.e., the tape measure protein (TMP), the distal tail protein (Dit), and the tail-associated lysozyme (Tal), is conserved in all phages. This common scaffold may harbor various functional extensions internally while it also serves as a platform for plug-in ancillary or receptor-binding proteins (RBPs). Finally, a group of siphophage baseplates involved in saccharidic receptor recognition exhibits an activation mechanism reminiscent of that observed in Myoviridae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adeline Goulet
- Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, Aix-Marseille Université, Campus de Luminy, 13288 Marseille, France;
- Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Campus de Luminy, 13288 Marseille, France
| | - Silvia Spinelli
- Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, Aix-Marseille Université, Campus de Luminy, 13288 Marseille, France;
- Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Campus de Luminy, 13288 Marseille, France
| | - Jennifer Mahony
- School of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork T12 YN60, Ireland;
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork T12 YN60, Ireland
| | - Christian Cambillau
- Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, Aix-Marseille Université, Campus de Luminy, 13288 Marseille, France;
- Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Campus de Luminy, 13288 Marseille, France
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