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Lin W, Li D, Pan L, Li M, Tong Y. Cyanobacteria-cyanophage interactions between freshwater and marine ecosystems based on large-scale cyanophage genomic analysis. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 950:175201. [PMID: 39102952 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.175201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2024] [Revised: 07/30/2024] [Accepted: 07/30/2024] [Indexed: 08/07/2024]
Abstract
The disparities in harmful algal blooms dynamics are largely attributed to variations in cyanobacteria populations within aquatic ecosystems. However, cyanobacteria-cyanophage interactions and their role in shaping cyanobacterial populations has been previously underappreciated. To address this knowledge gap, we isolated and sequenced 42 cyanophages from diverse water sources in China, with the majority (n = 35) originating from freshwater sources. We designated these sequences as the "Novel Cyanophage Genome sequence Collection" (NCGC). NCGC displayed notable genetic variations, with 95 % (40/42) of the sequences representing previously unidentified taxonomic ranks. By integrating NCGC with public data of cyanophages and cyanobacteria, we found evidence for more frequent historical cyanobacteria-cyanophage interactions in freshwater ecosystems. This was evidenced by a higher prevalence of prophage integrase-related genes in freshwater cyanophages (37.97 %) than marine cyanophages (7.42 %). In addition, freshwater cyanophages could infect a broader range of cyanobacteria orders (n = 4) than marine ones (n = 0). Correspondingly, freshwater cyanobacteria harbored more defense systems per million base pairs in their genomes, indicating more frequent phage infections. Evolutionary and cyanophage epidemiological studies suggest that interactions between cyanobacteria and cyanophages in freshwater and marine ecosystems are interconnected, and that brackish water can act as a transitional zone for freshwater and marine cyanophages. In conclusion, our research significantly expands the genetic information database of cyanophage, offering a wider selection of cyanophages to control harmful cyanobacterial blooms. Additionally, we represent a pioneering large-scale and comprehensive analysis of cyanobacteria and cyanophage sequencing data, and it provides theoretical guidance for the application of cyanophages in different environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Lin
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Dengfeng Li
- Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology of Zhejiang Province, School of Marine Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China
| | - Lingting Pan
- Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology of Zhejiang Province, School of Marine Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China
| | - Mengzhe Li
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China.
| | - Yigang Tong
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China; Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering (BAIC-SM), Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China.
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2
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Costa P, Pereira C, Romalde JL, Almeida A. A game of resistance: War between bacteria and phages and how phage cocktails can be the solution. Virology 2024; 599:110209. [PMID: 39186863 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2024.110209] [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: 05/29/2024] [Revised: 08/12/2024] [Accepted: 08/14/2024] [Indexed: 08/28/2024]
Abstract
While phages hold promise as an antibiotic alternative, they encounter significant challenges in combating bacterial infections, primarily due to the emergence of phage-resistant bacteria. Bacterial defence mechanisms like superinfection exclusion, CRISPR, and restriction-modification systems can hinder phage effectiveness. Innovative strategies, such as combining different phages into cocktails, have been explored to address these challenges. This review delves into these defence mechanisms and their impact at each stage of the infection cycle, their challenges, and the strategies phages have developed to counteract them. Additionally, we examine the role of phage cocktails in the evolving landscape of antibacterial treatments and discuss recent studies that highlight the effectiveness of diverse phage cocktails in targeting essential bacterial receptors and combating resistant strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Costa
- CESAM, Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
| | - Carla Pereira
- CESAM, Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
| | - Jesús L Romalde
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, CRETUS & CIBUS - Faculty of Biology, University of Santiago de Compostela, CP 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
| | - Adelaide Almeida
- CESAM, Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
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3
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Siopi M, Skliros D, Paranos P, Koumasi N, Flemetakis E, Pournaras S, Meletiadis J. Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of bacteriophage therapy: a review with a focus on multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacterial infections. Clin Microbiol Rev 2024; 37:e0004424. [PMID: 39072666 DOI: 10.1128/cmr.00044-24] [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] [Indexed: 07/30/2024] Open
Abstract
SUMMARYDespite the early recognition of their therapeutic potential and the current escalation of multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens, the adoption of bacteriophages into mainstream clinical practice is hindered by unfamiliarity with their basic pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacodynamic (PD) properties, among others. Given the self-replicative nature of bacteriophages in the presence of host bacteria, the adsorption rate, and the clearance by the host's immunity, their PK/PD characteristics cannot be estimated by conventional approaches, and thus, the introduction of new considerations is required. Furthermore, the multitude of different bacteriophage types, preparations, and treatment schedules impedes drawing general conclusions on their in vivo PK/PD features. Additionally, the drawback of acquired bacteriophage resistance of MDR pathogens with clinical and environmental implications should be taken into consideration. Here, we provide an overview of the current state of the field of PK and PD of bacteriophage therapy with a focus on its application against MDR Gram-negative infections, highlighting the potential knowledge gaps and the challenges in translation from the bench to the bedside. After reviewing the in vitro PKs and PDs of bacteriophages against the four major MDR Gram-negative pathogens, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii complex, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Escherichia coli, specific data on in vivo PKs (tissue distribution, route of administration, and basic PK parameters in animals and humans) and PDs (survival and reduction of bacterial burden in relation to the route of administration, timing of therapy, dosing regimens, and resistance) are summarized. Currently available data merit close scrutiny, and optimization of bacteriophage therapy in the context of a better understanding of the underlying PK/PD principles is urgent to improve its therapeutic effect and to minimize the occurrence of bacteriophage resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Siopi
- Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, Attikon University General Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Dimitrios Skliros
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied Biology and Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Paschalis Paranos
- Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, Attikon University General Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Nikoletta Koumasi
- Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, Attikon University General Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Emmanouil Flemetakis
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied Biology and Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Spyros Pournaras
- Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, Attikon University General Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Joseph Meletiadis
- Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, Attikon University General Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
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4
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Gomez JB, Waters CM. A Vibrio cholerae Type IV restriction system targets glucosylated 5-hydroxymethylcytosine to protect against phage infection. J Bacteriol 2024:e0014324. [PMID: 39230524 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00143-24] [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: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 08/03/2024] [Indexed: 09/05/2024] Open
Abstract
A major challenge faced by Vibrio cholerae is constant predation by bacteriophage (phage) in aquatic reservoirs and during infection of human hosts. To overcome phage predation, V. cholerae has acquired and/or evolved a myriad of phage defense systems. Although several novel defense systems have been discovered, we hypothesized that more were encoded in V. cholerae given the low diversity of phages that have been isolated, which infect this species. Using a V. cholerae genomic library, we identified a Type IV restriction system consisting of two genes within a 16-kB region of the Vibrio pathogenicity island-2, which we name TgvA and TgvB (Type I-embedded gmrSD-like system of VPI-2). We show that both TgvA and TgvB are required for defense against T2, T4, and T6 by targeting glucosylated 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC). T2 or T4 phages that lose the glucose modifications are resistant to TgvAB defense but exhibit a significant evolutionary tradeoff, becoming susceptible to other Type IV restriction systems that target unglucosylated 5hmC. We also show that the Type I restriction-modification system that embeds the tgvAB genes protects against phage T3, secΦ18, secΦ27, and λ, suggesting that this region is a phage defense island. Our study uncovers a novel Type IV restriction system in V. cholerae, increasing our understanding of the evolution and ecology of V. cholerae, while highlighting the evolutionary interplay between restriction systems and phage genome modification.IMPORTANCEBacteria are constantly being predated by bacteriophage (phage). To counteract this predation, bacteria have evolved a myriad of defense systems. Some of these systems specifically digest infecting phage by recognizing unique base modifications present on the phage DNA. In this study, we discover a Type IV restriction system encoded in V. cholerae, which we name TgvAB, and demonstrate it recognizes and restricts phage that have 5-hydroxymethylcytosine glucosylated DNA. Moreover, the evolution of resistance to TgvAB render phage susceptible to other Type IV restriction systems, demonstrating a significant evolutionary tradeoff. These results enhance our understanding of the evolution of V. cholerae and more broadly how bacteria evade phage predation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasper B Gomez
- Department of Microbiology, Genetics, & Immunology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Christopher M Waters
- Department of Microbiology, Genetics, & Immunology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
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5
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van den Berg DF, Costa AR, Esser JQ, Stanciu I, Geissler JQ, Zoumaro-Djayoon AD, Haas PJ, Brouns SJJ. Bacterial homologs of innate eukaryotic antiviral defenses with anti-phage activity highlight shared evolutionary roots of viral defenses. Cell Host Microbe 2024; 32:1427-1443.e8. [PMID: 39094584 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2024.07.007] [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: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 05/21/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
Prokaryotes have evolved a multitude of defense systems to protect against phage predation. Some of these resemble eukaryotic genes involved in antiviral responses. Here, we set out to systematically project the current knowledge of eukaryotic-like antiviral defense systems onto prokaryotic genomes, using Pseudomonas aeruginosa as a model organism. Searching for phage defense systems related to innate antiviral genes from vertebrates and plants, we uncovered over 450 candidates. We validated six of these phage defense systems, including factors preventing viral attachment, R-loop-acting enzymes, the inflammasome, ubiquitin pathway, and pathogen recognition signaling. Collectively, these defense systems support the concept of deep evolutionary links and shared antiviral mechanisms between prokaryotes and eukaryotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daan F van den Berg
- Department of Bionanoscience, Delft University of Technology, 2629 HZ Delft, the Netherlands; Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Ana Rita Costa
- Department of Bionanoscience, Delft University of Technology, 2629 HZ Delft, the Netherlands; Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Jelger Q Esser
- Department of Bionanoscience, Delft University of Technology, 2629 HZ Delft, the Netherlands; Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Ilinka Stanciu
- Department of Bionanoscience, Delft University of Technology, 2629 HZ Delft, the Netherlands; Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Jasper Q Geissler
- Department of Bionanoscience, Delft University of Technology, 2629 HZ Delft, the Netherlands; Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft, the Netherlands
| | | | - Pieter-Jan Haas
- Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, 3584 CX Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Stan J J Brouns
- Department of Bionanoscience, Delft University of Technology, 2629 HZ Delft, the Netherlands; Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft, the Netherlands.
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6
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Vizzarro G, Lemopoulos A, Adams DW, Blokesch M. Vibrio cholerae pathogenicity island 2 encodes two distinct types of restriction systems. J Bacteriol 2024:e0014524. [PMID: 39133004 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00145-24] [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: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 07/15/2024] [Indexed: 08/13/2024] Open
Abstract
In response to predation by bacteriophages and invasion by other mobile genetic elements such as plasmids, bacteria have evolved specialized defense systems that are often clustered together on genomic islands. The O1 El Tor strains of Vibrio cholerae responsible for the ongoing seventh cholera pandemic (7PET) contain a characteristic set of genomic islands involved in host colonization and disease, many of which contain defense systems. Notably, Vibrio pathogenicity island 2 contains several characterized defense systems as well as a putative type I restriction-modification (T1RM) system, which, interestingly, is interrupted by two genes of unknown function. Here, we demonstrate that the T1RM system is active, methylates the host genomes of a representative set of 7PET strains, and identify a specific recognition sequence that targets non-methylated plasmids for restriction. We go on to show that the two genes embedded within the T1RM system encode a novel two-protein modification-dependent restriction system related to the GmrSD family of type IV restriction enzymes. Indeed, we show that this system has potent anti-phage activity against diverse members of the Tevenvirinae, a subfamily of bacteriophages with hypermodified genomes. Taken together, these results expand our understanding of how this highly conserved genomic island contributes to the defense of pandemic V. cholerae against foreign DNA. IMPORTANCE Defense systems are immunity systems that allow bacteria to counter the threat posed by bacteriophages and other mobile genetic elements. Although these systems are numerous and highly diverse, the most common types are restriction enzymes that can specifically recognize and degrade non-self DNA. Here, we show that the Vibrio pathogenicity island 2, present in the pathogen Vibrio cholerae, encodes two types of restriction systems that use distinct mechanisms to sense non-self DNA. The first system is a classical Type I restriction-modification system, and the second is a novel modification-dependent type IV restriction system that recognizes hypermodified cytosines. Interestingly, these systems are embedded within each other, suggesting that they are complementary to each other by targeting both modified and non-modified phages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grazia Vizzarro
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Global Health Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Alexandre Lemopoulos
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Global Health Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - David William Adams
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Global Health Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Melanie Blokesch
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Global Health Institute, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
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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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Skutel M, Yanovskaya D, Demkina A, Shenfeld A, Musharova O, Severinov K, Isaev A. RecA-dependent or independent recombination of plasmid DNA generates a conflict with the host EcoKI immunity by launching restriction alleviation. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:5195-5208. [PMID: 38567730 PMCID: PMC11109961 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae243] [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: 09/19/2023] [Revised: 03/17/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Bacterial defence systems are tightly regulated to avoid autoimmunity. In Type I restriction-modification (R-M) systems, a specific mechanism called restriction alleviation (RA) controls the activity of the restriction module. In the case of the Escherichia coli Type I R-M system EcoKI, RA proceeds through ClpXP-mediated proteolysis of restriction complexes bound to non-methylated sites that appear after replication or reparation of host DNA. Here, we show that RA is also induced in the presence of plasmids carrying EcoKI recognition sites, a phenomenon we refer to as plasmid-induced RA. Further, we show that the anti-restriction behavior of plasmid-borne non-conjugative transposons such as Tn5053, previously attributed to their ardD loci, is due to plasmid-induced RA. Plasmids carrying both EcoKI and Chi sites induce RA in RecA- and RecBCD-dependent manner. However, inactivation of both RecA and RecBCD restores RA, indicating that there exists an alternative, RecA-independent, homologous recombination pathway that is blocked in the presence of RecBCD. Indeed, plasmid-induced RA in a RecBCD-deficient background does not depend on the presence of Chi sites. We propose that processing of random dsDNA breaks in plasmid DNA via homologous recombination generates non-methylated EcoKI sites, which attract EcoKI restriction complexes channeling them for ClpXP-mediated proteolysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikhail Skutel
- Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Daria Yanovskaya
- Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, Russia
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Alina Demkina
- Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, Russia
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Moscow, Russia
| | | | - Olga Musharova
- Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, Russia
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, National Research Center Kurchatov Institute, Moscow, Russia
| | - Konstantin Severinov
- Waksman Institute of Microbiology, Piscataway, USA
- Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Artem Isaev
- Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, Russia
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9
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Naknaen A, Samernate T, Saeju P, Nonejuie P, Chaikeeratisak V. Nucleus-forming jumbophage PhiKZ therapeutically outcompetes non-nucleus-forming jumbophage Callisto. iScience 2024; 27:109790. [PMID: 38726363 PMCID: PMC11079468 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
With the recent resurgence of phage therapy in modern medicine, jumbophages are currently under the spotlight due to their numerous advantages as anti-infective agents. However, most significant discoveries to date have primarily focused on nucleus-forming jumbophages, not their non-nucleus-forming counterparts. In this study, we compare the biological characteristics exhibited by two genetically diverse jumbophages: 1) the well-studied nucleus-forming jumbophage, PhiKZ; and 2) the newly discovered non-nucleus-forming jumbophage, Callisto. Single-cell infection studies further show that Callisto possesses different replication machinery, resulting in a delay in phage maturation compared to that of PhiKZ. The therapeutic potency of both phages was examined in vitro and in vivo, demonstrating that PhiKZ holds certain superior characteristics over Callisto. This research sheds light on the importance of the subcellular infection machinery and the organized progeny maturation process, which could potentially provide valuable insight in the future development of jumbophage-based therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ampapan Naknaen
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Thanadon Samernate
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
| | - Panida Saeju
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Poochit Nonejuie
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
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10
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Martínez M, Rizzuto I, Molina R. Knowing Our Enemy in the Antimicrobial Resistance Era: Dissecting the Molecular Basis of Bacterial Defense Systems. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4929. [PMID: 38732145 PMCID: PMC11084316 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25094929] [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: 03/20/2024] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Bacteria and their phage adversaries are engaged in an ongoing arms race, resulting in the development of a broad antiphage arsenal and corresponding viral countermeasures. In recent years, the identification and utilization of CRISPR-Cas systems have driven a renewed interest in discovering and characterizing antiphage mechanisms, revealing a richer diversity than initially anticipated. Currently, these defense systems can be categorized based on the bacteria's strategy associated with the infection cycle stage. Thus, bacterial defense systems can degrade the invading genetic material, trigger an abortive infection, or inhibit genome replication. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of processes related to bacterial immunity has significant implications for phage-based therapies and the development of new biotechnological tools. This review aims to comprehensively cover these processes, with a focus on the most recent discoveries.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Rafael Molina
- Department of Crystallography and Structural Biology, Instituto de Química-Física Blas Cabrera, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 28006 Madrid, Spain
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11
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Oliveira IM, Gomes IB, Simões LC, Simões M. A review of research advances on disinfection strategies for biofilm control in drinking water distribution systems. WATER RESEARCH 2024; 253:121273. [PMID: 38359597 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.121273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
The presence of biofilms in drinking water distribution systems (DWDS) is responsible for water quality deterioration and a possible source of public health risks. Different factors impact the biological stability of drinking water (DW) in the distribution networks, such as the presence and concentration of nutrients, water temperature, pipe material composition, hydrodynamic conditions, and levels of disinfectant residual. This review aimed to evaluate the current state of knowledge on strategies for DW biofilm disinfection through a qualitative and quantitative analysis of the literature published over the last decade. A systematic review method was performed on the 562 journal articles identified through database searching on Web of Science and Scopus, with 85 studies selected for detailed analysis. A variety of disinfectants were identified for DW biofilm control such as chlorine, chloramine, UV irradiation, hydrogen peroxide, chlorine dioxide, ozone, and others at a lower frequency, namely, electrolyzed water, bacteriophages, silver ions, and nanoparticles. The disinfectants can impact the microbial communities within biofilms, reduce the number of culturable cells and biofilm biomass, as well as interfere with the biofilm matrix components. The maintenance of an effective residual concentration in the water guarantees long-term prevention of biofilm formation and improves the inactivation of detached biofilm-associated opportunistic pathogens. Additionally, strategies based on multi-barrier processes by optimization of primary and secondary disinfection combined with other water treatment methods improve the control of opportunistic pathogens, reduce the chlorine-tolerance of biofilm-embedded cells, as well as decrease the corrosion rate in metal-based pipelines. Most of the studies used benchtop laboratory devices for biofilm research. Even though these devices mimic the conditions found in real DWDS, future investigations on strategies for DW biofilm control should include the validity of the promising strategies against biofilms formed in real DW networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Maria Oliveira
- LEPABE - Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal; ALiCE - Associate Laboratory in Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
| | - Inês Bezerra Gomes
- LEPABE - Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal; ALiCE - Associate Laboratory in Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
| | - Lúcia Chaves Simões
- CEB - Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal; LABBELS - Associate Laboratory in Biotechnology, Bioengineering and Microelectromechanical Systems, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Manuel Simões
- LEPABE - Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal; ALiCE - Associate Laboratory in Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal.
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12
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Agapov A, Baker KS, Bedekar P, Bhatia RP, Blower TR, Brockhurst MA, Brown C, Chong CE, Fothergill JL, Graham S, Hall JP, Maestri A, McQuarrie S, Olina A, Pagliara S, Recker M, Richmond A, Shaw SJ, Szczelkun MD, Taylor TB, van Houte S, Went SC, Westra ER, White MF, Wright R. Multi-layered genome defences in bacteria. Curr Opin Microbiol 2024; 78:102436. [PMID: 38368839 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2024.102436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Bacteria have evolved a variety of defence mechanisms to protect against mobile genetic elements, including restriction-modification systems and CRISPR-Cas. In recent years, dozens of previously unknown defence systems (DSs) have been discovered. Notably, diverse DSs often coexist within the same genome, and some co-occur at frequencies significantly higher than would be expected by chance, implying potential synergistic interactions. Recent studies have provided evidence of defence mechanisms that enhance or complement one another. Here, we review the interactions between DSs at the mechanistic, regulatory, ecological and evolutionary levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksei Agapov
- ESI, Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, UK
| | - Kate S Baker
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, CB2 3EH, UK
| | - Paritosh Bedekar
- ESI, Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, UK
| | - Rama P Bhatia
- ESI, Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, UK
| | - Tim R Blower
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Stockton Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Michael A Brockhurst
- Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomics, School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, Dover Street, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - Cooper Brown
- School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9ST, UK
| | | | - Joanne L Fothergill
- Dept of Clinical Infection, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, UK
| | - Shirley Graham
- School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9ST, UK
| | - James Pj Hall
- Dept of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Alice Maestri
- ESI, Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, UK
| | - Stuart McQuarrie
- School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9ST, UK
| | - Anna Olina
- ESI, Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, UK
| | | | - Mario Recker
- ESI, Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, UK
| | - Anna Richmond
- ESI, Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, UK
| | - Steven J Shaw
- DNA-Protein Interactions Unit, School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol BS6 7YB, UK
| | - Mark D Szczelkun
- DNA-Protein Interactions Unit, School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol BS6 7YB, UK
| | - Tiffany B Taylor
- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, UK
| | | | - Sam C Went
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Stockton Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Edze R Westra
- ESI, Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, UK.
| | - Malcolm F White
- School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9ST, UK
| | - Rosanna Wright
- Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomics, School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, Dover Street, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
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13
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Costa AR, van den Berg DF, Esser JQ, Muralidharan A, van den Bossche H, Bonilla BE, van der Steen BA, Haagsma AC, Fluit AC, Nobrega FL, Haas PJ, Brouns SJJ. Accumulation of defense systems in phage-resistant strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadj0341. [PMID: 38394193 PMCID: PMC10889362 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adj0341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
Prokaryotes encode multiple distinct anti-phage defense systems in their genomes. However, the impact of carrying a multitude of defense systems on phage resistance remains unclear, especially in a clinical context. Using a collection of antibiotic-resistant clinical strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and a broad panel of phages, we demonstrate that defense systems contribute substantially to defining phage host range and that overall phage resistance scales with the number of defense systems in the bacterial genome. We show that many individual defense systems target specific phage genera and that defense systems with complementary phage specificities co-occur in P. aeruginosa genomes likely to provide benefits in phage-diverse environments. Overall, we show that phage-resistant phenotypes of P. aeruginosa with at least 19 phage defense systems exist in the populations of clinical, antibiotic-resistant P. aeruginosa strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Rita Costa
- Department of Bionanoscience, Delft University of Technology, 2629 HZ Delft, Netherlands
- Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, 2629 HZ Delft, Netherlands
| | - Daan F. van den Berg
- Department of Bionanoscience, Delft University of Technology, 2629 HZ Delft, Netherlands
- Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, 2629 HZ Delft, Netherlands
| | - Jelger Q. Esser
- Department of Bionanoscience, Delft University of Technology, 2629 HZ Delft, Netherlands
- Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, 2629 HZ Delft, Netherlands
| | - Aswin Muralidharan
- Department of Bionanoscience, Delft University of Technology, 2629 HZ Delft, Netherlands
- Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, 2629 HZ Delft, Netherlands
| | - Halewijn van den Bossche
- Department of Bionanoscience, Delft University of Technology, 2629 HZ Delft, Netherlands
- Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, 2629 HZ Delft, Netherlands
| | - Boris Estrada Bonilla
- Department of Bionanoscience, Delft University of Technology, 2629 HZ Delft, Netherlands
- Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, 2629 HZ Delft, Netherlands
| | - Baltus A. van der Steen
- Department of Bionanoscience, Delft University of Technology, 2629 HZ Delft, Netherlands
- Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, 2629 HZ Delft, Netherlands
| | - Anna C. Haagsma
- Department of Bionanoscience, Delft University of Technology, 2629 HZ Delft, Netherlands
- Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, 2629 HZ Delft, Netherlands
| | - Ad C. Fluit
- Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, 3584 CX Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Franklin L. Nobrega
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, SO17 1BJ Southampton, UK
| | - Pieter-Jan Haas
- Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, 3584 CX Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Stan J. J. Brouns
- Department of Bionanoscience, Delft University of Technology, 2629 HZ Delft, Netherlands
- Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, 2629 HZ Delft, Netherlands
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14
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Pfeifer E, Rocha EPC. Phage-plasmids promote recombination and emergence of phages and plasmids. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1545. [PMID: 38378896 PMCID: PMC10879196 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45757-3] [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: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Phages and plasmids are regarded as distinct types of mobile genetic elements that drive bacterial evolution by horizontal gene transfer. However, the distinction between both types is blurred by the existence of elements known as prophage-plasmids or phage-plasmids, which transfer horizontally between cells as viruses and vertically within cellular lineages as plasmids. Here, we study gene flow between the three types of elements. We show that the gene repertoire of phage-plasmids overlaps with those of phages and plasmids. By tracking recent recombination events, we find that phage-plasmids exchange genes more frequently with plasmids than with phages, and that direct gene exchange between plasmids and phages is less frequent in comparison. The results suggest that phage-plasmids can mediate gene flow between plasmids and phages, including exchange of mobile element core functions, defense systems, and antibiotic resistance. Moreover, a combination of gene transfer and gene inactivation may result in the conversion of elements. For example, gene loss turns P1-like phage-plasmids into integrative prophages or into plasmids (that are no longer phages). Remarkably, some of the latter have acquired conjugation-related functions to became mobilisable by conjugation. Thus, our work indicates that phage-plasmids can play a key role in the transfer of genes across mobile elements within their hosts, and can act as intermediates in the conversion of one type of element into another.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugen Pfeifer
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR3525, Microbial Evolutionary Genomics, 75015, Paris, France.
| | - Eduardo P C Rocha
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR3525, Microbial Evolutionary Genomics, 75015, Paris, France.
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15
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Maddamsetti R, Yao Y, Wang T, Gao J, Huang VT, Hamrick GS, Son HI, You L. Duplicated antibiotic resistance genes reveal ongoing selection and horizontal gene transfer in bacteria. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1449. [PMID: 38365845 PMCID: PMC10873360 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45638-9] [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: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) and gene duplication are often considered as separate mechanisms driving the evolution of new functions. However, the mobile genetic elements (MGEs) implicated in HGT can copy themselves, so positive selection on MGEs could drive gene duplications. Here, we use a combination of modeling and experimental evolution to examine this hypothesis and use long-read genome sequences of tens of thousands of bacterial isolates to examine its generality in nature. Modeling and experiments show that antibiotic selection can drive the evolution of duplicated antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) through MGE transposition. A key implication is that duplicated ARGs should be enriched in environments associated with antibiotic use. To test this, we examined the distribution of duplicated ARGs in 18,938 complete bacterial genomes with ecological metadata. Duplicated ARGs are highly enriched in bacteria isolated from humans and livestock. Duplicated ARGs are further enriched in an independent set of 321 antibiotic-resistant clinical isolates. Our findings indicate that duplicated genes often encode functions undergoing positive selection and horizontal gene transfer in microbial communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rohan Maddamsetti
- Center for Quantitative Biodesign, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Yi Yao
- Center for Quantitative Biodesign, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Teng Wang
- Center for Quantitative Biodesign, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Junheng Gao
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Vincent T Huang
- Center for Quantitative Biodesign, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Grayson S Hamrick
- Center for Quantitative Biodesign, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Center for Biomolecular and Tissue Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Hye-In Son
- Center for Quantitative Biodesign, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Lingchong You
- Center for Quantitative Biodesign, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
- Center for Biomolecular and Tissue Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA.
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16
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Wang X, Leptihn S. Defense and anti-defense mechanisms of bacteria and bacteriophages. J Zhejiang Univ Sci B 2024; 25:181-196. [PMID: 38453634 PMCID: PMC10918411 DOI: 10.1631/jzus.b2300101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
In the post-antibiotic era, the overuse of antimicrobials has led to a massive increase in antimicrobial resistance, leaving medical doctors few or no treatment options to fight infections caused by superbugs. The use of bacteriophages is a promising alternative to treat infections, supplementing or possibly even replacing antibiotics. Using phages for therapy is possible, since these bacterial viruses can kill bacteria specifically, causing no harm to the normal flora. However, bacteria have developed a multitude of sophisticated and complex ways to resist infection by phages, including abortive infection and the clustered regularly interspersed short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated (Cas) system. Phages also can evolve and acquire new anti-defense strategies to continue predation. An in-depth exploration of both defense and anti-defense mechanisms would contribute to optimizing phage therapy, while we would also gain novel insights into the microbial world. In this paper, we summarize recent research on bacterial phage resistance and phage anti-defense mechanisms, as well as collaborative win-win systems involving both virus and host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoqing Wang
- School of Medicine, Lishui University, Lishui 323000, China.
| | - Sebastian Leptihn
- University of Edinburgh Medical School, Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine & Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK.
- HMU Health and Medical University, Am Anger 64/73- 99084 Erfurt, Germany.
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17
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Baker JL, Mark Welch JL, Kauffman KM, McLean JS, He X. The oral microbiome: diversity, biogeography and human health. Nat Rev Microbiol 2024; 22:89-104. [PMID: 37700024 PMCID: PMC11084736 DOI: 10.1038/s41579-023-00963-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023]
Abstract
The human oral microbiota is highly diverse and has a complex ecology, comprising bacteria, microeukaryotes, archaea and viruses. These communities have elaborate and highly structured biogeography that shapes metabolic exchange on a local scale and results from the diverse microenvironments present in the oral cavity. The oral microbiota also interfaces with the immune system of the human host and has an important role in not only the health of the oral cavity but also systemic health. In this Review, we highlight recent advances including novel insights into the biogeography of several oral niches at the species level, as well as the ecological role of candidate phyla radiation bacteria and non-bacterial members of the oral microbiome. In addition, we summarize the relationship between the oral microbiota and the pathology of oral diseases and systemic diseases. Together, these advances move the field towards a more holistic understanding of the oral microbiota and its role in health, which in turn opens the door to the study of novel preventive and therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathon L Baker
- Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
- J. Craig Venter Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
- UC San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jessica L Mark Welch
- The Forsyth Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Xuesong He
- The Forsyth Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
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18
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Barcia-Cruz R, Goudenège D, Moura de Sousa JA, Piel D, Marbouty M, Rocha EPC, Le Roux F. Phage-inducible chromosomal minimalist islands (PICMIs), a novel family of small marine satellites of virulent phages. Nat Commun 2024; 15:664. [PMID: 38253718 PMCID: PMC10803314 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-44965-1] [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: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Phage satellites are bacterial genetic elements that co-opt phage machinery for their own dissemination. Here we identify a family of satellites, named Phage-Inducible Chromosomal Minimalist Islands (PICMIs), that are broadly distributed in marine bacteria of the family Vibrionaceae. A typical PICMI is characterized by reduced gene content, does not encode genes for capsid remodelling, and packages its DNA as a concatemer. PICMIs integrate in the bacterial host genome next to the fis regulator, and encode three core proteins necessary for excision and replication. PICMIs are dependent on virulent phage particles to spread to other bacteria, and protect their hosts from other competitive phages without interfering with their helper phage. Thus, our work broadens our understanding of phage satellites and narrows down the minimal number of functions necessary to hijack a tailed phage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rubén Barcia-Cruz
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, UMR 8227, Integrative Biology of Marine Models, Station Biologique de Roscoff, CS 90074, F-29688, Roscoff cedex, France
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, CIBUS-Faculty of Biology, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - David Goudenège
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, UMR 8227, Integrative Biology of Marine Models, Station Biologique de Roscoff, CS 90074, F-29688, Roscoff cedex, France
- Ifremer, Unité Physiologie Fonctionnelle des Organismes Marins, ZI de la Pointe du Diable, CS 10070, F-29280, Plouzané, France
| | - Jorge A Moura de Sousa
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR3525, Microbial Evolutionary Genomics, Paris, France
| | - Damien Piel
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, UMR 8227, Integrative Biology of Marine Models, Station Biologique de Roscoff, CS 90074, F-29688, Roscoff cedex, France
- Ifremer, Unité Physiologie Fonctionnelle des Organismes Marins, ZI de la Pointe du Diable, CS 10070, F-29280, Plouzané, France
| | - Martial Marbouty
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Organization and Dynamics of Viral Genomes Group, CNRS UMR 3525, Paris, F-75015, France
| | - Eduardo P C Rocha
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR3525, Microbial Evolutionary Genomics, Paris, France
| | - Frédérique Le Roux
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, UMR 8227, Integrative Biology of Marine Models, Station Biologique de Roscoff, CS 90074, F-29688, Roscoff cedex, France.
- Ifremer, Unité Physiologie Fonctionnelle des Organismes Marins, ZI de la Pointe du Diable, CS 10070, F-29280, Plouzané, France.
- Département de microbiologie, infectiologie et immunologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada.
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19
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Foxall RL, Means J, Marcinkiewicz AL, Schillaci C, DeRosia-Banick K, Xu F, Hall JA, Jones SH, Cooper VS, Whistler CA. Inoviridae prophage and bacterial host dynamics during diversification, succession, and Atlantic invasion of Pacific-native Vibrio parahaemolyticus. mBio 2024; 15:e0285123. [PMID: 38112441 PMCID: PMC10790759 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02851-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE An understanding of the processes that contribute to the emergence of pathogens from environmental reservoirs is critical as changing climate precipitates pathogen evolution and population expansion. Phylogeographic analysis of Vibrio parahaemolyticus hosts combined with the analysis of their Inoviridae phage resolved ambiguities of diversification dynamics which preceded successful Atlantic invasion by the epidemiologically predominant ST36 lineage. It has been established experimentally that filamentous phage can limit host recombination, but here, we show that phage loss is linked to rapid bacterial host diversification during epidemic spread in natural ecosystems alluding to a potential role for ubiquitous inoviruses in the adaptability of pathogens. This work paves the way for functional analyses to define the contribution of inoviruses in the evolutionary dynamics of environmentally transmitted pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Randi L. Foxall
- Northeast Center for Vibrio Disease and Ecology, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire, USA
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Jillian Means
- Northeast Center for Vibrio Disease and Ecology, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire, USA
- Graduate Program in Microbiology, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Ashely L. Marcinkiewicz
- Northeast Center for Vibrio Disease and Ecology, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire, USA
- Graduate Program in Microbiology, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Christopher Schillaci
- Northeast Center for Vibrio Disease and Ecology, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire, USA
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Kristin DeRosia-Banick
- Northeast Center for Vibrio Disease and Ecology, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Feng Xu
- Northeast Center for Vibrio Disease and Ecology, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire, USA
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Jeffrey A. Hall
- Northeast Center for Vibrio Disease and Ecology, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire, USA
- Hubbard Center for Genome Studies, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Stephen H. Jones
- Northeast Center for Vibrio Disease and Ecology, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire, USA
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Vaughn S. Cooper
- Northeast Center for Vibrio Disease and Ecology, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire, USA
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Cheryl A. Whistler
- Northeast Center for Vibrio Disease and Ecology, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire, USA
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire, USA
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20
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Liu Y, Xu Z, Chen L, Xun W, Shu X, Chen Y, Sun X, Wang Z, Ren Y, Shen Q, Zhang R. Root colonization by beneficial rhizobacteria. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2024; 48:fuad066. [PMID: 38093453 PMCID: PMC10786197 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuad066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Rhizosphere microbes play critical roles for plant's growth and health. Among them, the beneficial rhizobacteria have the potential to be developed as the biofertilizer or bioinoculants for sustaining the agricultural development. The efficient rhizosphere colonization of these rhizobacteria is a prerequisite for exerting their plant beneficial functions, but the colonizing process and underlying mechanisms have not been thoroughly reviewed, especially for the nonsymbiotic beneficial rhizobacteria. This review systematically analyzed the root colonizing process of the nonsymbiotic rhizobacteria and compared it with that of the symbiotic and pathogenic bacteria. This review also highlighted the approaches to improve the root colonization efficiency and proposed to study the rhizobacterial colonization from a holistic perspective of the rhizosphere microbiome under more natural conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunpeng Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Efficient Utilization of Arid and Semi-Arid Arable Land in Northern China, The Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 12 Zhongguancun South Street, Beijing 100081, P.R. China
| | - Zhihui Xu
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for Organic Solid Waste Utilization, National Engineering Research Center for Organic-Based Fertilizers, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste Resource Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, 6 Tongwei Road, Nanjing 210095, P.R. China
| | - Lin Chen
- Experimental Center of Forestry in North China, Chinese Academy of Forestry, 1 Shuizha West Road, Beijing 102300, P.R. China
| | - Weibing Xun
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for Organic Solid Waste Utilization, National Engineering Research Center for Organic-Based Fertilizers, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste Resource Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, 6 Tongwei Road, Nanjing 210095, P.R. China
| | - Xia Shu
- State Key Laboratory of Efficient Utilization of Arid and Semi-Arid Arable Land in Northern China, The Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 12 Zhongguancun South Street, Beijing 100081, P.R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, 1 Shizishan Street, Wuhan, P.R. China
| | - Yu Chen
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for Organic Solid Waste Utilization, National Engineering Research Center for Organic-Based Fertilizers, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste Resource Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, 6 Tongwei Road, Nanjing 210095, P.R. China
| | - Xinli Sun
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for Organic Solid Waste Utilization, National Engineering Research Center for Organic-Based Fertilizers, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste Resource Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, 6 Tongwei Road, Nanjing 210095, P.R. China
| | - Zhengqi Wang
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for Organic Solid Waste Utilization, National Engineering Research Center for Organic-Based Fertilizers, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste Resource Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, 6 Tongwei Road, Nanjing 210095, P.R. China
| | - Yi Ren
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for Organic Solid Waste Utilization, National Engineering Research Center for Organic-Based Fertilizers, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste Resource Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, 6 Tongwei Road, Nanjing 210095, P.R. China
| | - Qirong Shen
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for Organic Solid Waste Utilization, National Engineering Research Center for Organic-Based Fertilizers, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste Resource Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, 6 Tongwei Road, Nanjing 210095, P.R. China
| | - Ruifu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Efficient Utilization of Arid and Semi-Arid Arable Land in Northern China, The Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 12 Zhongguancun South Street, Beijing 100081, P.R. China
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for Organic Solid Waste Utilization, National Engineering Research Center for Organic-Based Fertilizers, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste Resource Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, 6 Tongwei Road, Nanjing 210095, P.R. China
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21
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Elliott JFK, McLeod DV, Taylor TB, Westra ER, Gandon S, Watson BNJ. Conditions for the spread of CRISPR-Cas immune systems into bacterial populations. THE ISME JOURNAL 2024; 18:wrae108. [PMID: 38896653 DOI: 10.1093/ismejo/wrae108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Bacteria contain a wide variety of innate and adaptive immune systems which provide protection to the host against invading genetic material, including bacteriophages (phages). It is becoming increasingly clear that bacterial immune systems are frequently lost and gained through horizontal gene transfer. However, how and when new immune systems can become established in a bacterial population have remained largely unstudied. We developed a joint epidemiological and evolutionary model that predicts the conditions necessary for the spread of a CRISPR-Cas (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats-CRISPR-associated) immune system into a bacterial population lacking this system. We found that whether bacteria carrying CRISPR-Cas will spread (increase in frequency) into a bacterial population depends on the abundance of phages and the difference in the frequency of phage resistance mechanisms between bacteria carrying a CRISPR-Cas immune system and those not (denoted as ${f}_{\Delta }$). Specifically, the abundance of cells carrying CRISPR-Cas will increase if there is a higher proportion of phage resistance (either via CRISPR-Cas immunity or surface modification) in the CRISPR-Cas-possessing population than in the cells lacking CRISPR-Cas. We experimentally validated these predictions in a model using Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA14 and phage DMS3vir. Specifically, by varying the initial ratios of different strains of bacteria that carry alternative forms of phage resistance, we confirmed that the spread of cells carrying CRISPR-Cas through a population can be predicted based on phage density and the relative frequency of resistance phenotypes. Understanding which conditions promote the spread of CRISPR-Cas systems helps to predict when and where these defences can become established in bacterial populations after a horizontal gene transfer event, both in ecological and clinical contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josie F K Elliott
- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, United Kingdom
- ESI, Biosciences, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Penryn TR10 9FE, United Kingdom
| | - David V McLeod
- Département de mathématiques et statistique, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Universität Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Tiffany B Taylor
- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, United Kingdom
| | - Edze R Westra
- ESI, Biosciences, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Penryn TR10 9FE, United Kingdom
| | - Sylvain Gandon
- CEFE, CNRS, Univ Montpellier, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Bridget N J Watson
- ESI, Biosciences, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Penryn TR10 9FE, United Kingdom
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22
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Layoun P, López-Pérez M, Haro-Moreno JM, Haber M, Thrash JC, Henson MW, Kavagutti VS, Ghai R, Salcher MM. Flexible genomic island conservation across freshwater and marine Methylophilaceae. THE ISME JOURNAL 2024; 18:wrad036. [PMID: 38365254 PMCID: PMC10872708 DOI: 10.1093/ismejo/wrad036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
The evolutionary trajectory of Methylophilaceae includes habitat transitions from freshwater sediments to freshwater and marine pelagial that resulted in genome reduction (genome-streamlining) of the pelagic taxa. However, the extent of genetic similarities in the genomic structure and microdiversity of the two genome-streamlined pelagic lineages (freshwater "Ca. Methylopumilus" and the marine OM43 lineage) has so far never been compared. Here, we analyzed complete genomes of 91 "Ca. Methylopumilus" strains isolated from 14 lakes in Central Europe and 12 coastal marine OM43 strains. The two lineages showed a remarkable niche differentiation with clear species-specific differences in habitat preference and seasonal distribution. On the other hand, we observed a synteny preservation in their genomes by having similar locations and types of flexible genomic islands (fGIs). Three main fGIs were identified: a replacement fGI acting as phage defense, an additive fGI harboring metabolic and resistance-related functions, and a tycheposon containing nitrogen-, thiamine-, and heme-related functions. The fGIs differed in relative abundances in metagenomic datasets suggesting different levels of variability ranging from strain-specific to population-level adaptations. Moreover, variations in one gene seemed to be responsible for different growth at low substrate concentrations and a potential biogeographic separation within one species. Our study provides a first insight into genomic microdiversity of closely related taxa within the family Methylophilaceae and revealed remarkably similar dynamics involving mobile genetic elements and recombination between freshwater and marine family members.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Layoun
- Department of Aquatic Microbial Ecology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Biology Centre CAS, 37005 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, 37005 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Mario López-Pérez
- Evolutionary Genomics Group, División de Microbiología, Universidad Miguel Hernández, 03550 San Juan de Alicante, Spain
| | - Jose M Haro-Moreno
- Evolutionary Genomics Group, División de Microbiología, Universidad Miguel Hernández, 03550 San Juan de Alicante, Spain
| | - Markus Haber
- Department of Aquatic Microbial Ecology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Biology Centre CAS, 37005 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - J Cameron Thrash
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Michael W Henson
- Department of Geophysical Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Vinicius Silva Kavagutti
- Department of Aquatic Microbial Ecology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Biology Centre CAS, 37005 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, 37005 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Rohit Ghai
- Department of Aquatic Microbial Ecology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Biology Centre CAS, 37005 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Michaela M Salcher
- Department of Aquatic Microbial Ecology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Biology Centre CAS, 37005 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
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23
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Nishikawa Y, Wagatsuma R, Tsukada Y, Chia-ling L, Chijiiwa R, Hosokawa M, Takeyama H. Large-scale single-virus genomics uncovers hidden diversity of river water viruses and diversified gene profiles. THE ISME JOURNAL 2024; 18:wrae124. [PMID: 38976038 PMCID: PMC11283719 DOI: 10.1093/ismejo/wrae124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2023] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/09/2024]
Abstract
Environmental viruses (primarily bacteriophages) are widely recognized as playing an important role in ecosystem homeostasis through the infection of host cells. However, the majority of environmental viruses are still unknown as their mosaic structure and frequent mutations in their sequences hinder genome construction in current metagenomics. To enable the large-scale acquisition of environmental viral genomes, we developed a new single-viral genome sequencing platform with microfluidic-generated gel beads. Amplification of individual DNA viral genomes in mass-produced gel beads allows high-throughput genome sequencing compared to conventional single-virus genomics. The sequencing analysis of river water samples yielded 1431 diverse viral single-amplified genomes, whereas viral metagenomics recovered 100 viral metagenome-assembled genomes at the comparable sequence depth. The 99.5% of viral single-amplified genomes were determined novel at the species level, most of which could not be recovered by a metagenomic assembly. The large-scale acquisition of diverse viral genomes identified protein clusters commonly detected in different viral strains, allowing the gene transfer to be tracked. Moreover, comparative genomics within the same viral species revealed that the profiles of various methyltransferase subtypes were diverse, suggesting an enhanced escape from host bacterial internal defense mechanisms. Our use of gel bead-based single-virus genomics will contribute to exploring the nature of viruses by accelerating the accumulation of draft genomes of environmental DNA viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yohei Nishikawa
- Computational Bio Big-Data Open Innovation Laboratory (CBBD-OIL), AIST-Waseda University, 3-4-1 Okubo, Tokyo 169-0082, Japan
- Research Organization for Nano & Life Innovation, Waseda University, 513 Waseda Tsurumaki-cho, Tokyo 162–0041, Japan
| | - Ryota Wagatsuma
- Computational Bio Big-Data Open Innovation Laboratory (CBBD-OIL), AIST-Waseda University, 3-4-1 Okubo, Tokyo 169-0082, Japan
- Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Waseda University, 2-2 Wakamatsu-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan
| | - Yuko Tsukada
- Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Waseda University, 2-2 Wakamatsu-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan
| | - Lin Chia-ling
- Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Waseda University, 2-2 Wakamatsu-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan
| | - Rieka Chijiiwa
- Research Organization for Nano & Life Innovation, Waseda University, 513 Waseda Tsurumaki-cho, Tokyo 162–0041, Japan
| | - Masahito Hosokawa
- Computational Bio Big-Data Open Innovation Laboratory (CBBD-OIL), AIST-Waseda University, 3-4-1 Okubo, Tokyo 169-0082, Japan
- Research Organization for Nano & Life Innovation, Waseda University, 513 Waseda Tsurumaki-cho, Tokyo 162–0041, Japan
- Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Waseda University, 2-2 Wakamatsu-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan
- Institute for Advanced Research of Biosystem Dynamics, Waseda Research Institute for Science and Engineering, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Waseda University, 3-4-1 Okubo, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 169-8555, Japan
| | - Haruko Takeyama
- Computational Bio Big-Data Open Innovation Laboratory (CBBD-OIL), AIST-Waseda University, 3-4-1 Okubo, Tokyo 169-0082, Japan
- Research Organization for Nano & Life Innovation, Waseda University, 513 Waseda Tsurumaki-cho, Tokyo 162–0041, Japan
- Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Waseda University, 2-2 Wakamatsu-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan
- Institute for Advanced Research of Biosystem Dynamics, Waseda Research Institute for Science and Engineering, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Waseda University, 3-4-1 Okubo, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 169-8555, Japan
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24
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Yirmiya E, Leavitt A, Lu A, Ragucci AE, Avraham C, Osterman I, Garb J, Antine SP, Mooney SE, Hobbs SJ, Kranzusch PJ, Amitai G, Sorek R. Phages overcome bacterial immunity via diverse anti-defence proteins. Nature 2024; 625:352-359. [PMID: 37992756 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06869-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023]
Abstract
It was recently shown that bacteria use, apart from CRISPR-Cas and restriction systems, a considerable diversity of phage resistance systems1-4, but it is largely unknown how phages cope with this multilayered bacterial immunity. Here we analysed groups of closely related Bacillus phages that showed differential sensitivity to bacterial defence systems, and discovered four distinct families of anti-defence proteins that inhibit the Gabija, Thoeris and Hachiman systems. We show that these proteins Gad1, Gad2, Tad2 and Had1 efficiently cancel the defensive activity when co-expressed with the respective defence system or introduced into phage genomes. Homologues of these anti-defence proteins are found in hundreds of phages that infect taxonomically diverse bacterial species. We show that the anti-Gabija protein Gad1 blocks the ability of the Gabija defence complex to cleave phage-derived DNA. Our data further reveal that the anti-Thoeris protein Tad2 is a 'sponge' that sequesters the immune signalling molecules produced by Thoeris TIR-domain proteins in response to phage infection. Our results demonstrate that phages encode an arsenal of anti-defence proteins that can disable a variety of bacterial defence mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erez Yirmiya
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Azita Leavitt
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Allen Lu
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Adelyn E Ragucci
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Carmel Avraham
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Ilya Osterman
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Jeremy Garb
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Sadie P Antine
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sarah E Mooney
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Samuel J Hobbs
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Philip J Kranzusch
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Gil Amitai
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
| | - Rotem Sorek
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
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25
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Chen D, Yin Y, Hu Y, Cao L, Zhao C, Li B. Transposon-aided capture (TRACA) of plasmids from the human gut. Lett Appl Microbiol 2023; 76:ovad132. [PMID: 38031336 DOI: 10.1093/lambio/ovad132] [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: 09/25/2023] [Revised: 11/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
The gut microbiota consists of a vast and diverse assemblage of microorganisms that play a pivotal role in maintaining host health. Nevertheless, a significant portion of the human gut microbiota remains uncultivated. Plasmids, a type of MGE, assume a critical function in the biological evolution and adaptation of bacteria to varying environments. To investigate the plasmids present within the gut microbiota community, we used the transposon-aided capture method (TRACA) to explore plasmids derived from the gut microbiota. In this study, fecal samples were collected from two healthy human volunteers and subsequently subjected to the TRACA method for plasmid isolation. Then, the complete sequence of the plasmids was obtained using the genome walking method, and sequence identity was also analyzed. A total of 15 plasmids were isolated. At last, 13 plasmids were successfully sequenced, of which 12 plasmids were highly identical to the plasmids in the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) database and were all small plasmids. Furthermore, a putative novel plasmid, named pMRPHD, was isolated, which had mobilized elements (oriT and oriV) and a potential type II restriction-modification (R-M) system encoded by DNA cytosine methyltransferase and type II restriction enzyme (Ban I), whose specific functions and applications warrant further exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Chen
- Key Laboratory of Comprehensive Utilization of Advantage Plants Resources in Hunan South, Hunan Engineering Research Center for Research and Development of Plant Resources in Nanling Area, College of Chemistry and Bioengineering, Hunan University of Science and Engineering, 130 Yangzitang Road, Lingling District, Yongzhou 425199, Hunan Province, China
| | - Yeshi Yin
- Key Laboratory of Comprehensive Utilization of Advantage Plants Resources in Hunan South, Hunan Engineering Research Center for Research and Development of Plant Resources in Nanling Area, College of Chemistry and Bioengineering, Hunan University of Science and Engineering, 130 Yangzitang Road, Lingling District, Yongzhou 425199, Hunan Province, China
| | - Yunfei Hu
- Key Laboratory of Comprehensive Utilization of Advantage Plants Resources in Hunan South, Hunan Engineering Research Center for Research and Development of Plant Resources in Nanling Area, College of Chemistry and Bioengineering, Hunan University of Science and Engineering, 130 Yangzitang Road, Lingling District, Yongzhou 425199, Hunan Province, China
| | - Linyan Cao
- Key Laboratory of Comprehensive Utilization of Advantage Plants Resources in Hunan South, Hunan Engineering Research Center for Research and Development of Plant Resources in Nanling Area, College of Chemistry and Bioengineering, Hunan University of Science and Engineering, 130 Yangzitang Road, Lingling District, Yongzhou 425199, Hunan Province, China
| | - Changhui Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Comprehensive Utilization of Advantage Plants Resources in Hunan South, Hunan Engineering Research Center for Research and Development of Plant Resources in Nanling Area, College of Chemistry and Bioengineering, Hunan University of Science and Engineering, 130 Yangzitang Road, Lingling District, Yongzhou 425199, Hunan Province, China
| | - Baiyuan Li
- Key Laboratory of Comprehensive Utilization of Advantage Plants Resources in Hunan South, Hunan Engineering Research Center for Research and Development of Plant Resources in Nanling Area, College of Chemistry and Bioengineering, Hunan University of Science and Engineering, 130 Yangzitang Road, Lingling District, Yongzhou 425199, Hunan Province, China
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26
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Borin JM, Lee JJ, Lucia-Sanz A, Gerbino KR, Weitz JS, Meyer JR. Rapid bacteria-phage coevolution drives the emergence of multiscale networks. Science 2023; 382:674-678. [PMID: 37943920 DOI: 10.1126/science.adi5536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Interactions between species catalyze the evolution of multiscale ecological networks, including both nested and modular elements that regulate the function of diverse communities. One common assumption is that such complex pattern formation requires spatial isolation or long evolutionary timescales. We show that multiscale network structure can evolve rapidly under simple ecological conditions without spatial structure. In just 21 days of laboratory coevolution, Escherichia coli and bacteriophage Φ21 coevolve and diversify to form elaborate cross-infection networks. By measuring ~10,000 phage-bacteria infections and testing the genetic basis of interactions, we identify the mechanisms that create each component of the multiscale pattern. Our results demonstrate how multiscale networks evolve in parasite-host systems, illustrating Darwin's idea that simple adaptive processes can generate entangled banks of ecological interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua M Borin
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Justin J Lee
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Adriana Lucia-Sanz
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Krista R Gerbino
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Joshua S Weitz
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
- Department of Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
- Institut de Biologie, École Normale Supérieure, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Justin R Meyer
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
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27
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Ustick LJ, Larkin AA, Martiny AC. Global scale phylogeography of functional traits and microdiversity in Prochlorococcus. THE ISME JOURNAL 2023; 17:1671-1679. [PMID: 37454234 PMCID: PMC10504305 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-023-01469-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Prochlorococcus is the most numerically abundant photosynthetic organism in the surface ocean. The Prochlorococcus high-light and warm-water adapted ecotype (HLII) is comprised of extensive microdiversity, but specific functional differences between microdiverse sub-clades remain elusive. Here we characterized both functional and phylogenetic diversity within the HLII ecotype using Bio-GO-SHIP metagenomes. We found widespread variation in gene frequency connected to local environmental conditions. Metagenome-assembled marker genes and genomes revealed a globally distributed novel HLII haplotype defined by adaptation to chronically low P conditions (HLII-P). Environmental correlation analysis revealed different factors were driving gene abundances verses phylogenetic differences. An analysis of cultured HLII genomes and metagenome-assembled genomes revealed a subclade within HLII, which corresponded to the novel HLII-P haplotype. This work represents the first global assessment of the HLII ecotype's phylogeography and corresponding functional differences. These findings together expand our understanding of how microdiversity structures functional differences and reveals the importance of nutrients as drivers of microdiversity in Prochlorococcus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas J Ustick
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
- Structural and Computational Biology Research Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Alyse A Larkin
- Department of Earth System Science, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
- Global Ocean Monitoring and Observing, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Adam C Martiny
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA.
- Department of Earth System Science, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA.
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28
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Georjon H, Bernheim A. The highly diverse antiphage defence systems of bacteria. Nat Rev Microbiol 2023; 21:686-700. [PMID: 37460672 DOI: 10.1038/s41579-023-00934-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 72.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023]
Abstract
Bacteria and their viruses have coevolved for billions of years. This ancient and still ongoing arms race has led bacteria to develop a vast antiphage arsenal. The development of high-throughput screening methods expanded our knowledge of defence systems from a handful to more than a hundred systems, unveiling many different molecular mechanisms. These findings reveal that bacterial immunity is much more complex than previously thought. In this Review, we explore recently discovered bacterial antiphage defence systems, with a particular focus on their molecular diversity, and discuss the ecological and evolutionary drivers and implications of the existing diversity of antiphage defence mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Héloïse Georjon
- Molecular Diversity of Microbes Lab, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, INSERM, Paris, France
| | - Aude Bernheim
- Molecular Diversity of Microbes Lab, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, INSERM, Paris, France.
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29
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Weisberg AJ, Chang JH. Mobile Genetic Element Flexibility as an Underlying Principle to Bacterial Evolution. Annu Rev Microbiol 2023; 77:603-624. [PMID: 37437216 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-micro-032521-022006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/14/2023]
Abstract
Mobile genetic elements are key to the evolution of bacteria and traits that affect host and ecosystem health. Here, we use a framework of a hierarchical and modular system that scales from genes to populations to synthesize recent findings on mobile genetic elements (MGEs) of bacteria. Doing so highlights the role that emergent properties of flexibility, robustness, and genetic capacitance of MGEs have on the evolution of bacteria. Some of their traits can be stored, shared, and diversified across different MGEs, taxa of bacteria, and time. Collectively, these properties contribute to maintaining functionality against perturbations while allowing changes to accumulate in order to diversify and give rise to new traits. These properties of MGEs have long challenged our abilities to study them. Implementation of new technologies and strategies allows for MGEs to be analyzed in new and powerful ways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra J Weisberg
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA;
| | - Jeff H Chang
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA;
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30
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Audrey B, Cellier N, White F, Jacques PÉ, Burrus V. A systematic approach to classify and characterize genomic islands driven by conjugative mobility using protein signatures. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:8402-8412. [PMID: 37526274 PMCID: PMC10484663 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Genomic islands (GIs) play a crucial role in the spread of antibiotic resistance, virulence factors and antiviral defense systems in a broad range of bacterial species. However, the characterization and classification of GIs are challenging due to their relatively small size and considerable genetic diversity. Predicting their intercellular mobility is of utmost importance in the context of the emerging crisis of multidrug resistance. Here, we propose a large-scale classification method to categorize GIs according to their mobility profile and, subsequently, analyze their gene cargo. We based our classification decision scheme on a collection of mobility protein motif definitions available in publicly accessible databases. Our results show that the size distribution of GI classes correlates with their respective structure and complexity. Self-transmissible GIs are usually the largest, except in Bacillota and Actinomycetota, accumulate antibiotic and phage resistance genes, and favour the use of a tyrosine recombinase to insert into a host's replicon. Non-mobilizable GIs tend to use a DDE transposase instead. Finally, although tRNA genes are more frequently targeted as insertion sites by GIs encoding a tyrosine recombinase, most GIs insert in a protein-encoding gene. This study is a stepping stone toward a better characterization of mobile GIs in bacterial genomes and their mechanism of mobility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bioteau Audrey
- Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada
| | | | - Frédérique White
- Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada
| | | | - Vincent Burrus
- Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada
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31
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Rousset F, Sorek R. The evolutionary success of regulated cell death in bacterial immunity. Curr Opin Microbiol 2023; 74:102312. [PMID: 37030143 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2023.102312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 04/09/2023]
Abstract
Bacteria employ a complex arsenal of immune mechanisms to defend themselves against phages. Recent studies demonstrate that these immune mechanisms frequently involve regulated cell death in response to phage infection. By sacrificing infected cells, this strategy prevents the spread of phages within the surrounding population. In this review, we discuss the principles of regulated cell death in bacterial defense, and show that over 70% of sequenced prokaryotes employ this strategy as part of their defensive arsenals. We highlight the modularity of defense systems involving regulated cell death, explaining how shuffling between phage-sensing and cell-killing protein domains dominates their evolution. Some of these defense systems are the evolutionary ancestors of key components of eukaryotic immunity, highlighting their importance in shaping the evolutionary trajectory of immune systems across the tree of life.
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32
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Matrishin CB, Haase EM, Dewhirst FE, Mark Welch JL, Miranda-Sanchez F, Chen T, MacFarland DC, Kauffman KM. Phages are unrecognized players in the ecology of the oral pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis. MICROBIOME 2023; 11:161. [PMID: 37491415 PMCID: PMC10367356 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-023-01607-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Porphyromonas gingivalis (hereafter "Pg") is an oral pathogen that has been hypothesized to act as a keystone driver of inflammation and periodontal disease. Although Pg is most readily recovered from individuals with actively progressing periodontal disease, healthy individuals and those with stable non-progressing disease are also colonized by Pg. Insights into the factors shaping the striking strain-level variation in Pg, and its variable associations with disease, are needed to achieve a more mechanistic understanding of periodontal disease and its progression. One of the key forces often shaping strain-level diversity in microbial communities is infection of bacteria by their viral (phage) predators and symbionts. Surprisingly, although Pg has been the subject of study for over 40 years, essentially nothing is known of its phages, and the prevailing paradigm is that phages are not important in the ecology of Pg. RESULTS Here we systematically addressed the question of whether Pg are infected by phages-and we found that they are. We found that prophages are common in Pg, they are genomically diverse, and they encode genes that have the potential to alter Pg physiology and interactions. We found that phages represent unrecognized targets of the prevalent CRISPR-Cas defense systems in Pg, and that Pg strains encode numerous additional mechanistically diverse candidate anti-phage defense systems. We also found that phages and candidate anti-phage defense system elements together are major contributors to strain-level diversity and the species pangenome of this oral pathogen. Finally, we demonstrate that prophages harbored by a model Pg strain are active in culture, producing extracellular viral particles in broth cultures. CONCLUSION This work definitively establishes that phages are a major unrecognized force shaping the ecology and intra-species strain-level diversity of the well-studied oral pathogen Pg. The foundational phage sequence datasets and model systems that we establish here add to the rich context of all that is already known about Pg, and point to numerous avenues of future inquiry that promise to shed new light on fundamental features of phage impacts on human health and disease broadly. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cole B Matrishin
- Department of Oral Biology, School of Dental Medicine, The University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Elaine M Haase
- Department of Oral Biology, School of Dental Medicine, The University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Floyd E Dewhirst
- Department of Microbiology, The Forsyth Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Oral Medicine, Infection and Immunity, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Tsute Chen
- Department of Microbiology, The Forsyth Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Oral Medicine, Infection and Immunity, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Donald C MacFarland
- Department of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences, Jacobs School of Medicine, The University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Kathryn M Kauffman
- Department of Oral Biology, School of Dental Medicine, The University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA.
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Mayo-Muñoz D, Pinilla-Redondo R, Birkholz N, Fineran PC. A host of armor: Prokaryotic immune strategies against mobile genetic elements. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112672. [PMID: 37347666 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Prokaryotic adaptation is strongly influenced by the horizontal acquisition of beneficial traits via mobile genetic elements (MGEs), such as viruses/bacteriophages and plasmids. However, MGEs can also impose a fitness cost due to their often parasitic nature and differing evolutionary trajectories. In response, prokaryotes have evolved diverse immune mechanisms against MGEs. Recently, our understanding of the abundance and diversity of prokaryotic immune systems has greatly expanded. These defense systems can degrade the invading genetic material, inhibit genome replication, or trigger abortive infection, leading to population protection. In this review, we highlight these strategies, focusing on the most recent discoveries. The study of prokaryotic defenses not only sheds light on microbial evolution but also uncovers novel enzymatic activities with promising biotechnological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Mayo-Muñoz
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand; Genetics Otago, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand; Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | - Rafael Pinilla-Redondo
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand; Section of Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Nils Birkholz
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand; Genetics Otago, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand; Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand; Bioprotection Aotearoa, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | - Peter C Fineran
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand; Genetics Otago, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand; Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand; Bioprotection Aotearoa, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand.
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Johnson MC, Laderman E, Huiting E, Zhang C, Davidson A, Bondy-Denomy J. Core defense hotspots within Pseudomonas aeruginosa are a consistent and rich source of anti-phage defense systems. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:4995-5005. [PMID: 37140042 PMCID: PMC10250203 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Revised: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteria use a diverse arsenal of anti-phage immune systems, including CRISPR-Cas and restriction enzymes. Recent advances in anti-phage system discovery and annotation tools have unearthed many unique systems, often encoded in horizontally transferred defense islands, which can be horizontally transferred. Here, we developed Hidden Markov Models (HMMs) for defense systems and queried microbial genomes on the NCBI database. Out of the 30 species with >200 completely sequenced genomes, our analysis found Pseudomonas aeruginosa exhibits the greatest diversity of anti-phage systems, as measured by Shannon entropy. Using network analysis to identify the common neighbors of anti-phage systems, we identified two core defense hotspot loci (cDHS1 and cDHS2). cDHS1 is up to 224 kb (median: 26 kb) with varied arrangements of more than 30 distinct immune systems across isolates, while cDHS2 has 24 distinct systems (median: 6 kb). Both cDHS regions are occupied in a majority of P. aeruginosa isolates. Most cDHS genes are of unknown function potentially representing new anti-phage systems, which we validated by identifying a novel anti-phage system (Shango) commonly encoded in cDHS1. Identifying core genes flanking immune islands could simplify immune system discovery and may represent popular landing spots for diverse MGEs carrying anti-phage systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew C Johnson
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Eric Laderman
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Erin Huiting
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Chi Zhang
- Departments of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, 661 University Ave, Toronto, ON M5G 1M1, Canada
| | - Alan Davidson
- Departments of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, 661 University Ave, Toronto, ON M5G 1M1, Canada
| | - Joseph Bondy-Denomy
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Quantitative Biosciences Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Innovative Genomics Institute, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
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Walsh SK, Imrie RM, Matuszewska M, Paterson GK, Weinert LA, Hadfield JD, Buckling A, Longdon B. The host phylogeny determines viral infectivity and replication across Staphylococcus host species. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011433. [PMID: 37289828 PMCID: PMC10284401 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Revised: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Virus host shifts, where a virus transmits to and infects a novel host species, are a major source of emerging infectious disease. Genetic similarity between eukaryotic host species has been shown to be an important determinant of the outcome of virus host shifts, but it is unclear if this is the case for prokaryotes where anti-virus defences can be transmitted by horizontal gene transfer and evolve rapidly. Here, we measure the susceptibility of 64 strains of Staphylococcaceae bacteria (48 strains of Staphylococcus aureus and 16 non-S. aureus species spanning 2 genera) to the bacteriophage ISP, which is currently under investigation for use in phage therapy. Using three methods-plaque assays, optical density (OD) assays, and quantitative (q)PCR-we find that the host phylogeny explains a large proportion of the variation in susceptibility to ISP across the host panel. These patterns were consistent in models of only S. aureus strains and models with a single representative from each Staphylococcaceae species, suggesting that these phylogenetic effects are conserved both within and among host species. We find positive correlations between susceptibility assessed using OD and qPCR and variable correlations between plaque assays and either OD or qPCR, suggesting that plaque assays alone may be inadequate to assess host range. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the phylogenetic relationships between bacterial hosts can generally be used to predict the susceptibility of bacterial strains to phage infection when the susceptibility of closely related hosts is known, although this approach produced large prediction errors in multiple strains where phylogeny was uninformative. Together, our results demonstrate the ability of bacterial host evolutionary relatedness to explain differences in susceptibility to phage infection, with implications for the development of ISP both as a phage therapy treatment and as an experimental system for the study of virus host shifts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah K. Walsh
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation; Faculty of Environment, Science, and Economy; Biosciences; University of Exeter; Cornwall; United Kingdom
- Environment and Sustainability Institute; University of Exeter; Cornwall; United Kingdom
| | - Ryan M. Imrie
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation; Faculty of Environment, Science, and Economy; Biosciences; University of Exeter; Cornwall; United Kingdom
| | - Marta Matuszewska
- Department of Medicine; University of Cambridge; Cambridge; United Kingdom
| | - Gavin K. Paterson
- Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and the Roslin Institute; University of Edinburgh;Edinburgh; United Kingdom
| | - Lucy A. Weinert
- Department of Veterinary Medicine; University of Cambridge; Cambridge; United Kingdom
| | - Jarrod D. Hadfield
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology; The University of Edinburgh; Edinburgh; United Kingdom
| | - Angus Buckling
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation; Faculty of Environment, Science, and Economy; Biosciences; University of Exeter; Cornwall; United Kingdom
- Environment and Sustainability Institute; University of Exeter; Cornwall; United Kingdom
| | - Ben Longdon
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation; Faculty of Environment, Science, and Economy; Biosciences; University of Exeter; Cornwall; United Kingdom
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36
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Lin S, Guo Y, Huang Z, Tang K, Wang X. Comparative Genomic Analysis of Cold-Water Coral-Derived Sulfitobacter faviae: Insights into Their Habitat Adaptation and Metabolism. Mar Drugs 2023; 21:md21050309. [PMID: 37233503 DOI: 10.3390/md21050309] [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: 04/25/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Sulfitobacter is one of the major sulfite-oxidizing alphaproteobacterial groups and is often associated with marine algae and corals. Their association with the eukaryotic host cell may have important ecological contexts due to their complex lifestyle and metabolism. However, the role of Sulfitobacter in cold-water corals remains largely unexplored. In this study, we explored the metabolism and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) in two closely related Sulfitobacter faviae strains isolated from cold-water black corals at a depth of ~1000 m by comparative genomic analysis. The two strains shared high sequence similarity in chromosomes, including two megaplasmids and two prophages, while both contained several distinct MGEs, including prophages and megaplasmids. Additionally, several toxin-antitoxin systems and other types of antiphage elements were also identified in both strains, potentially helping Sulfitobacter faviae overcome the threat of diverse lytic phages. Furthermore, the two strains shared similar secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters and genes involved in dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) degradation pathways. Our results provide insight into the adaptive strategy of Sulfitobacter strains to thrive in ecological niches such as cold-water corals at the genomic level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shituan Lin
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bioresources and Ecology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Marine Materia Medica, Innovation Academy of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 511458, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yunxue Guo
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bioresources and Ecology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Marine Materia Medica, Innovation Academy of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 511458, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou 511458, China
| | - Zixian Huang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bioresources and Ecology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Marine Materia Medica, Innovation Academy of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 511458, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Kaihao Tang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bioresources and Ecology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Marine Materia Medica, Innovation Academy of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 511458, China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou 511458, China
| | - Xiaoxue Wang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bioresources and Ecology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Marine Materia Medica, Innovation Academy of South China Sea Ecology and Environmental Engineering, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 511458, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou 511458, China
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37
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Petrovic Fabijan A, Iredell J, Danis-Wlodarczyk K, Kebriaei R, Abedon ST. Translating phage therapy into the clinic: Recent accomplishments but continuing challenges. PLoS Biol 2023; 21:e3002119. [PMID: 37220114 PMCID: PMC10204993 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Phage therapy is a medical form of biological control of bacterial infections, one that uses naturally occurring viruses, called bacteriophages or phages, as antibacterial agents. Pioneered over 100 years ago, phage therapy nonetheless is currently experiencing a resurgence in interest, with growing numbers of clinical case studies being published. This renewed enthusiasm is due in large part to phage therapy holding promise for providing safe and effective cures for bacterial infections that traditional antibiotics acting alone have been unable to clear. This Essay introduces basic phage biology, provides an outline of the long history of phage therapy, highlights some advantages of using phages as antibacterial agents, and provides an overview of recent phage therapy clinical successes. Although phage therapy has clear clinical potential, it faces biological, regulatory, and economic challenges to its further implementation and more mainstream acceptance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra Petrovic Fabijan
- Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
- Faculty of Health and Medicine, School of Medicine, Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Jonathan Iredell
- Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
- Faculty of Health and Medicine, School of Medicine, Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Westmead Hospital, Western Sydney Local Health District, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Katarzyna Danis-Wlodarczyk
- Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Razieh Kebriaei
- P3 Research Laboratory, College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Stephen T. Abedon
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Mansfield, Ohio, United States of America
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38
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Patel PH, Maxwell KL. Prophages provide a rich source of antiphage defense systems. Curr Opin Microbiol 2023; 73:102321. [PMID: 37121062 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2023.102321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Revised: 03/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Temperate phages are pervasive in nature, existing within bacterial cells in a form known as prophages. In this state, survival of the phage is intricately tied to the survival of the bacterial host. As a result, prophages often encode genes that increase bacterial fitness. One important way to increase survival is to provide defense against competing phages. Recent work reviewed here reveals that prophages provide a diverse and robust reservoir of antiphage defense systems that likely play a major role in bacterial-phage dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pramalkumar H Patel
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, MaRS West Tower, 661 University Avenue, Toronto, ON M5G 1M1, Canada
| | - Karen L Maxwell
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, MaRS West Tower, 661 University Avenue, Toronto, ON M5G 1M1, Canada.
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39
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Smith WPJ, Wucher BR, Nadell CD, Foster KR. Bacterial defences: mechanisms, evolution and antimicrobial resistance. Nat Rev Microbiol 2023:10.1038/s41579-023-00877-3. [PMID: 37095190 DOI: 10.1038/s41579-023-00877-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 45.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023]
Abstract
Throughout their evolutionary history, bacteria have faced diverse threats from other microorganisms, including competing bacteria, bacteriophages and predators. In response to these threats, they have evolved sophisticated defence mechanisms that today also protect bacteria against antibiotics and other therapies. In this Review, we explore the protective strategies of bacteria, including the mechanisms, evolution and clinical implications of these ancient defences. We also review the countermeasures that attackers have evolved to overcome bacterial defences. We argue that understanding how bacteria defend themselves in nature is important for the development of new therapies and for minimizing resistance evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- William P J Smith
- Division of Genomics, Infection and Evolution, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - Benjamin R Wucher
- Department of Biological sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Carey D Nadell
- Department of Biological sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Kevin R Foster
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
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40
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Molina-Quiroz RC, Silva-Valenzuela CA. Interactions of Vibrio phages and their hosts in aquatic environments. Curr Opin Microbiol 2023; 74:102308. [PMID: 37062175 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2023.102308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/18/2023]
Abstract
Bacteriophages (phages) are viruses that specifically infect bacteria. These viruses were discovered a century ago and have been used as a model system in microbial genetics and molecular biology. In order to survive, bacteria have to quickly adapt to phage challenges in their natural settings. In turn, phages continuously develop/evolve mechanisms for battling host defenses. A deeper understanding of the arms race between bacteria and phages is essential for the rational design of phage-based prophylaxis and therapies to prevent and treat bacterial infections. Vibrio species and their phages (vibriophages) are a suitable model to study these interactions. Phages are highly ubiquitous in aquatic environments and Vibrio are waterborne bacteria that must survive the constant attack by phages for successful transmission to their hosts. Here, we review relevant literature from the past two years to delve into the molecular interactions of Vibrio species and their phages in aquatic niches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto C Molina-Quiroz
- Stuart B. Levy Center for Integrated Management of Antimicrobial Resistance (Levy CIMAR), Tufts Medical Center and Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA
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41
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Yuan X, Huang Z, Zhu Z, Zhang J, Wu Q, Xue L, Wang J, Ding Y. Recent advances in phage defense systems and potential overcoming strategies. Biotechnol Adv 2023; 65:108152. [PMID: 37037289 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2023.108152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/12/2023]
Abstract
Bacteriophages are effective in the prevention and control of bacteria, and many phage products have been permitted and applied in the field. Because bacteriophages are expected to replace other antimicrobial agents like antibiotics, the antibacterial effect of bacteriophage has attracted widespread attention. Recently, the diversified defense systems discovered in the target host have become potential threats to the continued effective application of phages. Therefore, a systematic summary and in-depth illustration of the interaction between phages and bacteria is conducive to the development of this biological control approach. In this review, we introduce different defense systems in bacteria against phages and emphasize newly discovered defense mechanisms in recent years. Additionally, we draw attention to the striking resemblance between defense system genes and antibiotic resistance genes, which raises concerns about the potential transfer of phage defense systems within bacterial populations and its future impact on phage efficacy. Thus, attention should be given to the effects of phage defense genes in practical applications. This article is not exhaustive, but strategies to overcome phage defense systems are also discussed to further promote more efficient use of phages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoming Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiomics and Precision Application, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China; Department of Food Science & Engineering, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Zhichao Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiomics and Precision Application, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China; Department of Food Science & Engineering, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Zhenjun Zhu
- Department of Food Science & Engineering, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Jumei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiomics and Precision Application, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China
| | - Qingping Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiomics and Precision Application, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China
| | - Liang Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiomics and Precision Application, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China
| | - Juan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiomics and Precision Application, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, China; College of Food Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510432, China.
| | - Yu Ding
- Department of Food Science & Engineering, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
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42
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Słomka J, Alcolombri U, Carrara F, Foffi R, Peaudecerf FJ, Zbinden M, Stocker R. Encounter rates prime interactions between microorganisms. Interface Focus 2023; 13:20220059. [PMID: 36789236 PMCID: PMC9912013 DOI: 10.1098/rsfs.2022.0059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Properties of microbial communities emerge from the interactions between microorganisms and between microorganisms and their environment. At the scale of the organisms, microbial interactions are multi-step processes that are initiated by cell-cell or cell-resource encounters. Quantification and rational design of microbial interactions thus require quantification of encounter rates. Encounter rates can often be quantified through encounter kernels-mathematical formulae that capture the dependence of encounter rates on cell phenotypes, such as cell size, shape, density or motility, and environmental conditions, such as turbulence intensity or viscosity. While encounter kernels have been studied for over a century, they are often not sufficiently considered in descriptions of microbial populations. Furthermore, formulae for kernels are known only in a small number of canonical encounter scenarios. Yet, encounter kernels can guide experimental efforts to control microbial interactions by elucidating how encounter rates depend on key phenotypic and environmental variables. Encounter kernels also provide physically grounded estimates for parameters that are used in ecological models of microbial populations. We illustrate this encounter-oriented perspective on microbial interactions by reviewing traditional and recently identified kernels describing encounters between microorganisms and between microorganisms and resources in aquatic systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonasz Słomka
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, Institute of Environmental Engineering, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Uria Alcolombri
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, Institute of Environmental Engineering, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Francesco Carrara
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, Institute of Environmental Engineering, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Riccardo Foffi
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, Institute of Environmental Engineering, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - François J. Peaudecerf
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, Institute of Environmental Engineering, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Matti Zbinden
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, Institute of Environmental Engineering, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Roman Stocker
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, Institute of Environmental Engineering, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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43
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Hochhauser D, Millman A, Sorek R. The defense island repertoire of the Escherichia coli pan-genome. PLoS Genet 2023; 19:e1010694. [PMID: 37023146 PMCID: PMC10121019 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1010694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Revised: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023] Open
Abstract
It has become clear in recent years that anti-phage defense systems cluster non-randomly within bacterial genomes in so-called "defense islands". Despite serving as a valuable tool for the discovery of novel defense systems, the nature and distribution of defense islands themselves remain poorly understood. In this study, we comprehensively mapped the defense system repertoire of >1,300 strains of Escherichia coli, the most widely studied organism for phage-bacteria interactions. We found that defense systems are usually carried on mobile genetic elements including prophages, integrative conjugative elements and transposons, which preferentially integrate at several dozens of dedicated hotspots in the E. coli genome. Each mobile genetic element type has a preferred integration position but can carry a diverse variety of defensive cargo. On average, an E. coli genome has 4.7 hotspots occupied by defense system-containing mobile elements, with some strains possessing up to eight defensively occupied hotspots. Defense systems frequently co-localize with other systems on the same mobile genetic element, in agreement with the observed defense island phenomenon. Our data show that the overwhelming majority of the E. coli pan-immune system is carried on mobile genetic elements, explaining why the immune repertoire varies substantially between different strains of the same species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dina Hochhauser
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Adi Millman
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Rotem Sorek
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
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44
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Shan X, Goyal A, Gregor R, Cordero OX. Annotation-free discovery of functional groups in microbial communities. Nat Ecol Evol 2023; 7:716-724. [PMID: 36997739 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-02021-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/01/2023]
Abstract
Recent studies have shown that microbial communities are composed of groups of functionally cohesive taxa whose abundance is more stable and better-associated with metabolic fluxes than that of any individual taxon. However, identifying these functional groups in a manner that is independent of error-prone functional gene annotations remains a major open problem. Here we tackle this structure-function problem by developing a novel unsupervised approach that coarse-grains taxa into functional groups, solely on the basis of the patterns of statistical variation in species abundances and functional read-outs. We demonstrate the power of this approach on three distinct datasets. On data of replicate microcosms with heterotrophic soil bacteria, our unsupervised algorithm recovered experimentally validated functional groups that divide metabolic labour and remain stable despite large variation in species composition. When leveraged against the ocean microbiome data, our approach discovered a functional group that combines aerobic and anaerobic ammonia oxidizers whose summed abundance tracks closely with nitrate concentrations in the water column. Finally, we show that our framework can enable the detection of species groups that are probably responsible for the production or consumption of metabolites abundant in animal gut microbiomes, serving as a hypothesis-generating tool for mechanistic studies. Overall, this work advances our understanding of structure-function relationships in complex microbiomes and provides a powerful approach to discover functional groups in an objective and systematic manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyu Shan
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Akshit Goyal
- Physics of Living Systems, Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Rachel Gregor
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Otto X Cordero
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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Botelho J, Tüffers L, Fuss J, Buchholz F, Utpatel C, Klockgether J, Niemann S, Tümmler B, Schulenburg H. Phylogroup-specific variation shapes the clustering of antimicrobial resistance genes and defence systems across regions of genome plasticity in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. EBioMedicine 2023; 90:104532. [PMID: 36958270 PMCID: PMC10053402 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2023.104532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen consisting of three phylogroups (hereafter named A, B, and C). Here, we assessed phylogroup-specific evolutionary dynamics across available and also new P. aeruginosa genomes. METHODS In this genomic analysis, we first generated new genome assemblies for 18 strains of the major P. aeruginosa clone type (mPact) panel, comprising a phylogenetically diverse collection of clinical and environmental isolates for this species. Thereafter, we combined these new genomes with 1991 publicly available P. aeruginosa genomes for a phylogenomic and comparative analysis. We specifically explored to what extent antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes, defence systems, and virulence genes vary in their distribution across regions of genome plasticity (RGPs) and "masked" (RGP-free) genomes, and to what extent this variation differs among the phylogroups. FINDINGS We found that members of phylogroup B possess larger genomes, contribute a comparatively larger number of pangenome families, and show lower abundance of CRISPR-Cas systems. Furthermore, AMR and defence systems are pervasive in RGPs and integrative and conjugative/mobilizable elements (ICEs/IMEs) from phylogroups A and B, and the abundance of these cargo genes is often significantly correlated. Moreover, inter- and intra-phylogroup interactions occur at the accessory genome level, suggesting frequent recombination events. Finally, we provide here the mPact panel of diverse P. aeruginosa strains that may serve as a valuable reference for functional analyses. INTERPRETATION Altogether, our results highlight distinct pangenome characteristics of the P. aeruginosa phylogroups, which are possibly influenced by variation in the abundance of CRISPR-Cas systems and are shaped by the differential distribution of other defence systems and AMR genes. FUNDING German Science Foundation, Max-Planck Society, Leibniz ScienceCampus Evolutionary Medicine of the Lung, BMBF program Medical Infection Genomics, Kiel Life Science Postdoc Award.
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Affiliation(s)
- João Botelho
- Antibiotic Resistance Group, Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany; Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics, University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany.
| | - Leif Tüffers
- Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics, University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany; Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Janina Fuss
- Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Christian Albrechts University and University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Florian Buchholz
- Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics, University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Christian Utpatel
- Molecular and Experimental Mycobacteriology, Research Center Borstel, Borstel, Germany; German Center for Infection Research, Partner Site Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems, Borstel, Germany
| | - Jens Klockgether
- Clinic for Paediatric Pneumology, Allergology, and Neonatology, Hannover Medical School (MHH), Hannover, Germany
| | - Stefan Niemann
- Molecular and Experimental Mycobacteriology, Research Center Borstel, Borstel, Germany; German Center for Infection Research, Partner Site Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems, Borstel, Germany
| | - Burkhard Tümmler
- Clinic for Paediatric Pneumology, Allergology, and Neonatology, Hannover Medical School (MHH), Hannover, Germany; Biomedical Research in Endstage and Obstructive Lung Disease Hannover (BREATH), German Center for Lung Research, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Hinrich Schulenburg
- Antibiotic Resistance Group, Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany; Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics, University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany.
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Beamud B, García-González N, Gómez-Ortega M, González-Candelas F, Domingo-Calap P, Sanjuan R. Genetic determinants of host tropism in Klebsiella phages. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112048. [PMID: 36753420 PMCID: PMC9989827 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Revised: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophages play key roles in bacterial ecology and evolution and are potential antimicrobials. However, the determinants of phage-host specificity remain elusive. Here, we isolate 46 phages to challenge 138 representative clinical isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae, a widespread opportunistic pathogen. Spot tests show a narrow host range for most phages, with <2% of 6,319 phage-host combinations tested yielding detectable interactions. Bacterial capsule diversity is the main factor restricting phage host range. Consequently, phage-encoded depolymerases are key determinants of host tropism, and depolymerase sequence types are associated with the ability to infect specific capsular types across phage families. However, all phages with a broader host range found do not encode canonical depolymerases, suggesting alternative modes of entry. These findings expand our knowledge of the complex interactions between bacteria and their viruses and point out the feasibility of predicting the first steps of phage infection using bacterial and phage genome sequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Beamud
- Joint Research Unit Infection and Public Health, FISABIO-Universitat de València, 46020 València, Spain; Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I(2)SysBio), Universitat de València-CSIC, 46980 Paterna, Spain
| | - Neris García-González
- Joint Research Unit Infection and Public Health, FISABIO-Universitat de València, 46020 València, Spain; Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I(2)SysBio), Universitat de València-CSIC, 46980 Paterna, Spain
| | - Mar Gómez-Ortega
- Joint Research Unit Infection and Public Health, FISABIO-Universitat de València, 46020 València, Spain
| | - Fernando González-Candelas
- Joint Research Unit Infection and Public Health, FISABIO-Universitat de València, 46020 València, Spain; Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I(2)SysBio), Universitat de València-CSIC, 46980 Paterna, Spain.
| | - Pilar Domingo-Calap
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I(2)SysBio), Universitat de València-CSIC, 46980 Paterna, Spain.
| | - Rafael Sanjuan
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I(2)SysBio), Universitat de València-CSIC, 46980 Paterna, Spain.
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Horne T, Orr VT, Hall JP. How do interactions between mobile genetic elements affect horizontal gene transfer? Curr Opin Microbiol 2023; 73:102282. [PMID: 36863168 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2023.102282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2023]
Abstract
Horizontal gene transfer is central to bacterial adaptation and is facilitated by mobile genetic elements (MGEs). Increasingly, MGEs are being studied as agents with their own interests and adaptations, and the interactions MGEs have with one another are recognised as having a powerful effect on the flow of traits between microbes. Collaborations and conflicts between MGEs are nuanced and can both promote and inhibit the acquisition of new genetic material, shaping the maintenance of newly acquired genes and the dissemination of important adaptive traits through microbiomes. We review recent studies that shed light on this dynamic and oftentimes interlaced interplay, highlighting the importance of genome defence systems in mediating MGE-MGE conflicts, and outlining the consequences for evolutionary change, that resonate from the molecular to microbiome and ecosystem levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanya Horne
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZB, United Kingdom
| | - Victoria T Orr
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZB, United Kingdom
| | - James Pj Hall
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 7ZB, United Kingdom.
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Tesson F, Bernheim A. Synergy and regulation of antiphage systems: toward the existence of a bacterial immune system? Curr Opin Microbiol 2023; 71:102238. [PMID: 36423502 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2022.102238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Bacteria encode a vast repertoire of diverse antiphage defense systems. Recent studies revealed that different defense systems are often encoded within the same genome, raising the question of their possible interactions in a cell. Here, we review the known synergies and coregulations of antiphage systems. The emerging complexities suggest a potential existence of an additional level of organization of antiviral defense in prokaryotes. We argue that this organization could be compared with immune systems of animals and plants. We discuss this concept and explore what it could mean in bacteria.
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Abedon ST. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology of Hindering Phage Therapy: The Phage Tolerance vs. Phage Resistance of Bacterial Biofilms. Antibiotics (Basel) 2023; 12:245. [PMID: 36830158 PMCID: PMC9952518 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics12020245] [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: 12/31/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
As with antibiotics, we can differentiate various acquired mechanisms of bacteria-mediated inhibition of the action of bacterial viruses (phages or bacteriophages) into ones of tolerance vs. resistance. These also, respectively, may be distinguished as physiological insensitivities (or protections) vs. resistance mutations, phenotypic resistance vs. genotypic resistance, temporary vs. more permanent mechanisms, and ecologically vs. also near-term evolutionarily motivated functions. These phenomena can result from multiple distinct molecular mechanisms, many of which for bacterial tolerance of phages are associated with bacterial biofilms (as is also the case for the bacterial tolerance of antibiotics). The resulting inhibitions are relevant from an applied perspective because of their potential to thwart phage-based treatments of bacterial infections, i.e., phage therapies, as well as their potential to interfere more generally with approaches to the phage-based biological control of bacterial biofilms. In other words, given the generally low toxicity of properly chosen therapeutic phages, it is a combination of phage tolerance and phage resistance, as displayed by targeted bacteria, that seems to represent the greatest impediments to phage therapy's success. Here I explore general concepts of bacterial tolerance of vs. bacterial resistance to phages, particularly as they may be considered in association with bacterial biofilms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen T Abedon
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Mansfield, OH 44906, USA
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Ustick LJ, Larkin AA, Martiny AC. Global scale phylogeography of functional traits and microdiversity in Prochlorococcus. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.24.525399. [PMID: 36747826 PMCID: PMC9900765 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.24.525399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Prochlorococcus is the most numerically abundant photosynthetic organism in the surface ocean. The Prochlorococcus high-light and warm-water adapted ecotype (HLII) is comprised of extensive microdiversity, but specific functional differences between microdiverse sub-clades remain elusive. Here we characterized both functional and phylogenetic diversity within the HLII ecotype using Bio-GO-SHIP metagenomes. We found widespread variation in gene frequency connected to local environmental conditions. Metagenomically assembled marker genes and genomes revealed a globally distributed novel HLII haplotype defined by adaptation to chronically low P conditions (HLII-P). Environmental correlation analysis revealed different factors were driving gene abundances verses phylogenetic differences. An analysis of cultured HLII genomes and metagenomically assembled genomes revealed a subclade within HLII, which corresponded to the novel HLII-P haplotype. This work represents the first global assessment of the HLII ecotype’s phylogeography and corresponding functional differences. These findings together expand our understanding of how microdiversity structures functional differences and reveals the importance of nutrients as drivers of microdiversity in Prochlorococcus .
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