1
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Liu W, Xu C, Li T, Ren Z, Hao S, Chen Z, Huang X, Wen X. Temporal Dynamics and Contribution of Phage Community to the Prevalence of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in a Full-Scale Sludge Anaerobic Digestion Plant. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:6296-6304. [PMID: 38556999 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c00712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Anaerobic digestion (AD) is an important biological resource recovery process, where microorganisms play key roles for material transformation. There has been some knowledge about the prokaryotic community and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in AD, but there has been very limited knowledge of phages. In this study, samples from a full-scale AD plant were collected over 13 months, sequenced, and analyzed for viral and prokaryotic metagenomes. Totally, 3015 viral operational taxonomic units (vOTUs) were detected, mostly assigned to Caudoviricetes. The phage community had faster temporal variation than the prokaryotic community. Warm seasons harbored a higher abundance of both temperate phages and broad host-range phages. Seven ARGs of 6 subtypes were carried by 20 vOTUs, a representative ermT gene was synthesized and expressed, and the resistance activity in the host was examined, confirming the real activity of virus-carried ARGs in the AD process. Some of the ARGs were horizontally transferred between the phage and prokaryotic genomes. However, phage infection was not found to contribute to ARG transfer. This study provided an insight into the ecological patterns of the phage community, confirmed the antibiotic resistance activity of virus-carried ARGs, evaluated the contribution of phages on the ARG prevalence, and laid the foundation for the control strategies of the community and antibiotic resistance in the AD process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Liu
- School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Chenyang Xu
- School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Tianle Li
- School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Zhengran Ren
- Research and Development Center, Beijing Drainage Group Co. Ltd., Beijing 100080, China
| | - Shan Hao
- Research and Development Center, Beijing Drainage Group Co. Ltd., Beijing 100080, China
| | - Zhan Chen
- School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Xia Huang
- School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Xianghua Wen
- School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
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2
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Yu X, Cheng L, Yi X, Li B, Li X, Liu X, Liu Z, Kong X. Gut phageome: challenges in research and impact on human microbiota. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1379382. [PMID: 38585689 PMCID: PMC10995246 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1379382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024] Open
Abstract
The human gut microbiome plays a critical role in maintaining our health. Fluctuations in the diversity and structure of the gut microbiota have been implicated in the pathogenesis of several metabolic and inflammatory conditions. Dietary patterns, medication, smoking, alcohol consumption, and physical activity can all influence the abundance of different types of microbiota in the gut, which in turn can affect the health of individuals. Intestinal phages are an essential component of the gut microbiome, but most studies predominantly focus on the structure and dynamics of gut bacteria while neglecting the role of phages in shaping the gut microbiome. As bacteria-killing viruses, the distribution of bacteriophages in the intestine, their role in influencing the intestinal microbiota, and their mechanisms of action remain elusive. Herein, we present an overview of the current knowledge of gut phages, their lifestyles, identification, and potential impact on the gut microbiota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Yu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Pneumoconiosis, Shanxi Key Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases, Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Li Cheng
- Department of Clinical Laboratory and Pathology, Hospital of Shanxi People’s Armed Police, Taiyuan, China
| | - Xin Yi
- Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Bing Li
- Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Xueqin Li
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The General Hospital of Jincheng Coal Industry Group, Jincheng, China
| | - Xiang Liu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Pneumoconiosis, Shanxi Key Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases, Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Zhihong Liu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Pneumoconiosis, Shanxi Key Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases, Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Xiaomei Kong
- NHC Key Laboratory of Pneumoconiosis, Shanxi Key Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases, Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
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3
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Martinez-Soto CE, McClelland M, Kropinski AM, Lin JT, Khursigara CM, Anany H. Multireceptor phage cocktail against Salmonella enterica to circumvent phage resistance. MICROLIFE 2024; 5:uqae003. [PMID: 38545601 PMCID: PMC10972627 DOI: 10.1093/femsml/uqae003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
Non-Typhoidal Salmonella (NTS) is one of the most common food-borne pathogens worldwide, with poultry products being the major vehicle for pathogenesis in humans. The use of bacteriophage (phage) cocktails has recently emerged as a novel approach to enhancing food safety. Here, a multireceptor Salmonella phage cocktail of five phages was developed and characterized. The cocktail targets four receptors: O-antigen, BtuB, OmpC, and rough Salmonella strains. Structural analysis indicated that all five phages belong to unique families or subfamilies. Genome analysis of four of the phages showed they were devoid of known virulence or antimicrobial resistance factors, indicating enhanced safety. The phage cocktail broad antimicrobial spectrum against Salmonella, significantly inhibiting the growth of all 66 strains from 20 serovars tested in vitro. The average bacteriophage insensitive mutant (BIM) frequency against the cocktail was 6.22 × 10-6 in S. Enteritidis, significantly lower than that of each of the individual phages. The phage cocktail reduced the load of Salmonella in inoculated chicken skin by 3.5 log10 CFU/cm2 after 48 h at 25°C and 15°C, and 2.5 log10 CFU/cm2 at 4°C. A genome-wide transduction assay was used to investigate the transduction efficiency of the selected phage in the cocktail. Only one of the four phages tested could transduce the kanamycin resistance cassette at a low frequency comparable to that of phage P22. Overall, the results support the potential of cocktails of phage that each target different host receptors to achieve complementary infection and reduce the emergence of phage resistance during biocontrol applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos E Martinez-Soto
- Guelph Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food
Canada, 93 Stone Rd W, N1G 5C9, Guelph, Ontario,
Canada
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, College of Biological
Science, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Rd E, N1G 2W1,
Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michael McClelland
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine,
University of California, Irvine, 811 Health Sciences Road,
CA 92614, United States
| | - Andrew M Kropinski
- Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of
Guelph, Guelph, 419 Gordon St, Guelph, ON N1G
2W1, Canada
| | - Janet T Lin
- Guelph Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food
Canada, 93 Stone Rd W, N1G 5C9, Guelph, Ontario,
Canada
| | - Cezar M Khursigara
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, College of Biological
Science, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Rd E, N1G 2W1,
Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Hany Anany
- Guelph Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food
Canada, 93 Stone Rd W, N1G 5C9, Guelph, Ontario,
Canada
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, College of Biological
Science, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Rd E, N1G 2W1,
Guelph, Ontario, Canada
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4
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Silva EC, Quinde CA, Cieza B, Basu A, Vila MMDC, Balcão VM. Molecular Characterization and Genome Mechanical Features of Two Newly Isolated Polyvalent Bacteriophages Infecting Pseudomonas syringae pv. garcae. Genes (Basel) 2024; 15:113. [PMID: 38255005 PMCID: PMC10815195 DOI: 10.3390/genes15010113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2023] [Revised: 01/06/2024] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Coffee plants have been targeted by a devastating bacterial disease, a condition known as bacterial blight, caused by the phytopathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. garcae (Psg). Conventional treatments of coffee plantations affected by the disease involve frequent spraying with copper- and kasugamycin-derived compounds, but they are both highly toxic to the environment and stimulate the appearance of bacterial resistance. Herein, we report the molecular characterization and mechanical features of the genome of two newly isolated (putative polyvalent) lytic phages for Psg. The isolated phages belong to class Caudoviricetes and present a myovirus-like morphotype belonging to the genuses Tequatrovirus (PsgM02F) and Phapecoctavirus (PsgM04F) of the subfamilies Straboviridae (PsgM02F) and Stephanstirmvirinae (PsgM04F), according to recent bacterial viruses' taxonomy, based on their complete genome sequences. The 165,282 bp (PsgM02F) and 151,205 bp (PsgM04F) genomes do not feature any lysogenic-related (integrase) genes and, hence, can safely be assumed to follow a lytic lifestyle. While phage PsgM02F produced a morphogenesis yield of 124 virions per host cell, phage PsgM04F produced only 12 virions per host cell, indicating that they replicate well in Psg with a 50 min latency period. Genome mechanical analyses established a relationship between genome bendability and virion morphogenesis yield within infected host cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica C. Silva
- VBlab—Laboratory of Bacterial Viruses, University of Sorocaba, Sorocaba 18023-000, SP, Brazil; (E.C.S.); (M.M.D.C.V.)
| | - Carlos A. Quinde
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA;
| | - Basilio Cieza
- Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA;
| | - Aakash Basu
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE, UK;
| | - Marta M. D. C. Vila
- VBlab—Laboratory of Bacterial Viruses, University of Sorocaba, Sorocaba 18023-000, SP, Brazil; (E.C.S.); (M.M.D.C.V.)
| | - Victor M. Balcão
- VBlab—Laboratory of Bacterial Viruses, University of Sorocaba, Sorocaba 18023-000, SP, Brazil; (E.C.S.); (M.M.D.C.V.)
- Department of Biology and CESAM, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, P-3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
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5
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Holtzman T, Nechooshtan R, Yosef I, Qimron U. Contracting the Host Range of Bacteriophage T7 Using a Continuous Evolution System. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2793:85-100. [PMID: 38526725 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3798-2_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/27/2024]
Abstract
Bacteriophage T7 is an intracellular virus that recognizes its host via tail and tail fiber proteins known as receptor-binding proteins (RBPs). The RBPs attach to a specific lipopolysaccharide (LPS) displayed on the host. While there are various reports of phage host range expansion resulting from mutations in the RBP encoding genes, there is little evidence for contraction of host range. Notably, most experimental systems have not monitored changes in host range in the presence of several hosts simultaneously. Here, we use a continuous evolution system to show that T7 phages grown in the presence of five restrictive strains and one permissive host, each with a different LPS, gradually cease to recognize the restrictive strains. Remarkably, this result was obtained in experiments with six different permissive hosts. The altered specificity is due to mutations in the RBPs as determined by gene sequencing. The results of using this system demonstrate a major role for RBPs in restricting the range of futile infections, and this process can be harnessed to reduce the host range in applications such as recognition and elimination of a specific bacterial serotype by bacteriophages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tzvi Holtzman
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel.
| | - Ram Nechooshtan
- Department of Biotechnology, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Ido Yosef
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Udi Qimron
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
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6
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Lone A, Martinez-Soto CE, Anany H. Bacteriophages Isolation and Efficacy Testing. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2813:219-233. [PMID: 38888781 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3890-3_15] [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: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
Bacteriophages (phages) are viruses that infect bacteria and are the most abundant biological entity on the planet. Phages have gained popularity as an alternative to antibiotics due to their specificity and ability to efficiently lyse antimicrobial resistant bacterial pathogens. Before using phages, they must be isolated from the environment and tested to ensure purity and lytic ability against various hosts. This protocol walks through the entire multi-day procedure of enriching and processing raw environmental samples (seawater, primary sludge, and soil), testing for lytic activity, selecting and picking potential phage plaques, verifying phage purity, and finally, propagation (liquid and solid) of phages to obtain high-titer crude phage lysates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayesha Lone
- Guelph Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Carlos E Martinez-Soto
- Guelph Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Guelph, ON, Canada
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, College of Biological Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Hany Anany
- Guelph Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Guelph, ON, Canada.
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, College of Biological Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.
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7
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Chung KM, Liau XL, Tang SS. Bacteriophages and Their Host Range in Multidrug-Resistant Bacterial Disease Treatment. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:1467. [PMID: 37895938 PMCID: PMC10610060 DOI: 10.3390/ph16101467] [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: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 06/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The rapid emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria in recent times has prompted the search for new and more potent antibiotics. Bacteriophages (commonly known as phages) are viruses that target and infect their bacterial hosts. As such, they are also a potential alternative to antibiotics. These phages can be broadly categorized into monovalent (with a narrow host range spectrum and specific to a single bacterial genus) and polyvalent (with a broad host range and specific to more than two genera). However, there is still much ambiguity in the use of these terms, with researchers often describing their phages differently. There is considerable research on the use of both narrow- and broad-host range phages in the treatment of infections and diseases caused by MDR bacteria, including tuberculosis, cystic fibrosis, and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) infectious diseases. From this, it is clear that the host range of these phages plays a vital role in determining the effectiveness of any phage therapy, and this factor is usually analyzed based on the advantages and limitations of different host ranges. There have also been efforts to expand phage host ranges via phage cocktail development, phage engineering and combination therapies, in line with current technological advancements. This literature review aims to provide a more in-depth understanding of the role of phage host ranges in the effectiveness of treating MDR-bacterial diseases, by exploring the following: phage biology, the importance of phages in MDR bacteria diseases treatment, the importance of phage host range and its advantages and limitations, current findings and recent developments, and finally, possible future directions for wide host range phages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ka Mun Chung
- Division of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, University Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
| | - Xiew Leng Liau
- Division of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, University Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
| | - Swee Seong Tang
- Division of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, University Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
- Centre for Research in Biotechnology for Agriculture, University Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
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8
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Meile S, Du J, Staubli S, Grossmann S, Koliwer-Brandl H, Piffaretti P, Leitner L, Matter CI, Baggenstos J, Hunold L, Milek S, Guebeli C, Kozomara-Hocke M, Neumeier V, Botteon A, Klumpp J, Marschall J, McCallin S, Zbinden R, Kessler TM, Loessner MJ, Dunne M, Kilcher S. Engineered reporter phages for detection of Escherichia coli, Enterococcus, and Klebsiella in urine. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4336. [PMID: 37474554 PMCID: PMC10359277 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39863-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The rapid detection and species-level differentiation of bacterial pathogens facilitates antibiotic stewardship and improves disease management. Here, we develop a rapid bacteriophage-based diagnostic assay to detect the most prevalent pathogens causing urinary tract infections: Escherichia coli, Enterococcus spp., and Klebsiella spp. For each uropathogen, two virulent phages were genetically engineered to express a nanoluciferase reporter gene upon host infection. Using 206 patient urine samples, reporter phage-induced bioluminescence was quantified to identify bacteriuria and the assay was benchmarked against conventional urinalysis. Overall, E. coli, Enterococcus spp., and Klebsiella spp. were each detected with high sensitivity (68%, 78%, 87%), specificity (99%, 99%, 99%), and accuracy (90%, 94%, 98%) at a resolution of ≥103 CFU/ml within 5 h. We further demonstrate how bioluminescence in urine can be used to predict phage antibacterial activity, demonstrating the future potential of reporter phages as companion diagnostics that guide patient-phage matching prior to therapeutic phage application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Meile
- Institute of Food Nutrition and Health, ETH, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jiemin Du
- Institute of Food Nutrition and Health, ETH, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Samuel Staubli
- Institute of Food Nutrition and Health, ETH, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | | | | | - Lorenz Leitner
- Department of Neuro-Urology, Balgrist University Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Laura Hunold
- Institute of Food Nutrition and Health, ETH, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sonja Milek
- Department of Neuro-Urology, Balgrist University Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Vera Neumeier
- Department of Neuro-Urology, Balgrist University Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Angela Botteon
- Institute of Food Nutrition and Health, ETH, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jochen Klumpp
- Institute of Food Nutrition and Health, ETH, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jonas Marschall
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, US
| | - Shawna McCallin
- Department of Neuro-Urology, Balgrist University Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Reinhard Zbinden
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Thomas M Kessler
- Department of Neuro-Urology, Balgrist University Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Matthew Dunne
- Institute of Food Nutrition and Health, ETH, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Samuel Kilcher
- Institute of Food Nutrition and Health, ETH, Zurich, Switzerland.
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9
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Baláž A, Kajsik M, Budiš J, Szemes T, Turňa J. PHERI-Phage Host ExploRation Pipeline. Microorganisms 2023; 11:1398. [PMID: 37374901 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11061398] [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: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance is becoming a common problem in medicine, food, and industry, with multidrug-resistant bacterial strains occurring in all regions. One of the possible future solutions is the use of bacteriophages. Phages are the most abundant form of life in the biosphere, so we can highly likely purify a specific phage against each target bacterium. The identification and consistent characterization of individual phages was a common form of phage work and included determining bacteriophages' host-specificity. With the advent of new modern sequencing methods, there was a problem with the detailed characterization of phages in the environment identified by metagenome analysis. The solution to this problem may be to use a bioinformatic approach in the form of prediction software capable of determining a bacterial host based on the phage whole-genome sequence. The result of our research is the machine learning algorithm-based tool called PHERI. PHERI predicts the suitable bacterial host genus for the purification of individual viruses from different samples. In addition, it can identify and highlight protein sequences that are important for host selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrej Baláž
- Geneton Ltd., Ilkovicova 8, 841 04 Bratislava, Slovakia
- Department of Applied Informatics, Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics, Comenius University, Mlynska dolina F1, 842 48 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Michal Kajsik
- Science Park, Comenius University, Ilkovicova 8, 841 04 Bratislava, Slovakia
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Ilkovicova 6, 841 04 Bratislava, Slovakia
- Medirex Group Academy n.o., Novozamocka 1, 949 05 Nitra, Slovakia
| | - Jaroslav Budiš
- Geneton Ltd., Ilkovicova 8, 841 04 Bratislava, Slovakia
- Science Park, Comenius University, Ilkovicova 8, 841 04 Bratislava, Slovakia
- Slovak Centre of Scientific and Technical Information (SCSTI), Lamacska Cesta 8/A, 811 04 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Tomáš Szemes
- Geneton Ltd., Ilkovicova 8, 841 04 Bratislava, Slovakia
- Science Park, Comenius University, Ilkovicova 8, 841 04 Bratislava, Slovakia
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Ilkovicova 6, 841 04 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Ján Turňa
- Science Park, Comenius University, Ilkovicova 8, 841 04 Bratislava, Slovakia
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Ilkovicova 6, 841 04 Bratislava, Slovakia
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10
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Airola C, Severino A, Porcari S, Fusco W, Mullish BH, Gasbarrini A, Cammarota G, Ponziani FR, Ianiro G. Future Modulation of Gut Microbiota: From Eubiotics to FMT, Engineered Bacteria, and Phage Therapy. Antibiotics (Basel) 2023; 12:antibiotics12050868. [PMID: 37237771 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics12050868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The human gut is inhabited by a multitude of bacteria, yeasts, and viruses. A dynamic balance among these microorganisms is associated with the well-being of the human being, and a large body of evidence supports a role of dysbiosis in the pathogenesis of several diseases. Given the importance of the gut microbiota in the preservation of human health, probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, and postbiotics have been classically used as strategies to modulate the gut microbiota and achieve beneficial effects for the host. Nonetheless, several molecules not typically included in these categories have demonstrated a role in restoring the equilibrium among the components of the gut microbiota. Among these, rifaximin, as well as other antimicrobial drugs, such as triclosan, or natural compounds (including evodiamine and polyphenols) have common pleiotropic characteristics. On one hand, they suppress the growth of dangerous bacteria while promoting beneficial bacteria in the gut microbiota. On the other hand, they contribute to the regulation of the immune response in the case of dysbiosis by directly influencing the immune system and epithelial cells or by inducing the gut bacteria to produce immune-modulatory compounds, such as short-chain fatty acids. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has also been investigated as a procedure to restore the equilibrium of the gut microbiota and has shown benefits in many diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease, chronic liver disorders, and extraintestinal autoimmune conditions. One of the most significant limits of the current techniques used to modulate the gut microbiota is the lack of tools that can precisely modulate specific members of complex microbial communities. Novel approaches, including the use of engineered probiotic bacteria or bacteriophage-based therapy, have recently appeared as promising strategies to provide targeted and tailored therapeutic modulation of the gut microbiota, but their role in clinical practice has yet to be clarified. The aim of this review is to discuss the most recently introduced innovations in the field of therapeutic microbiome modulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlo Airola
- Digestive Disease Center, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Dipartimento Universitario di Medicina e Chirurgia Traslazionale, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Severino
- Digestive Disease Center, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Dipartimento Universitario di Medicina e Chirurgia Traslazionale, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Serena Porcari
- Digestive Disease Center, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Dipartimento Universitario di Medicina e Chirurgia Traslazionale, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - William Fusco
- Digestive Disease Center, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Dipartimento Universitario di Medicina e Chirurgia Traslazionale, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Benjamin H Mullish
- Division of Digestive Diseases, Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Faculty of Medicine, St Mary's Hospital Campus, Imperial College London, London W2 1NY, UK
- Departments of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, St Mary's Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London W2 1NY, UK
| | - Antonio Gasbarrini
- Digestive Disease Center, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Dipartimento Universitario di Medicina e Chirurgia Traslazionale, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanni Cammarota
- Digestive Disease Center, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Dipartimento Universitario di Medicina e Chirurgia Traslazionale, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Romana Ponziani
- Digestive Disease Center, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Dipartimento Universitario di Medicina e Chirurgia Traslazionale, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Gianluca Ianiro
- Digestive Disease Center, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Dipartimento Universitario di Medicina e Chirurgia Traslazionale, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
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11
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Zaki BM, Mohamed AA, Dawoud A, Essam K, Hammouda ZK, Abdelsattar AS, El-Shibiny A. Isolation, screening and characterization of phage. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2023; 200:13-60. [PMID: 37739553 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2023.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/24/2023]
Abstract
Bacterial resistance threatens public health due to a lack of novel antibacterial classes since the 21st century. Bacteriophages, the most ubiquitous microorganism on Earth and natural predators of bacteria, have the potential to save the world from the post-antibiotic era. Therefore, phage isolation and characterization are in high demand to find suitable phages for therapeutic and bacterial control applications. The chapter presents brief guidance supported by recommendations on the isolation of phages, and initial screening of phage antimicrobial efficacy, in addition to, conducting comprehensive characterization addressing morphological, biological, genomic, and taxonomic features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bishoy Maher Zaki
- Center for Microbiology and Phage Therapy, Zewail City of Science and Technology, Giza, Egypt; Microbiology and Immunology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, October University for Modern Sciences and Arts (MSA), Giza, Egypt
| | - Amira A Mohamed
- Center for Microbiology and Phage Therapy, Zewail City of Science and Technology, Giza, Egypt
| | - Alyaa Dawoud
- Center for Microbiology and Phage Therapy, Zewail City of Science and Technology, Giza, Egypt; Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, German University in Cairo, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Kareem Essam
- Center for Microbiology and Phage Therapy, Zewail City of Science and Technology, Giza, Egypt
| | - Zainab K Hammouda
- Microbiology and Immunology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, October University for Modern Sciences and Arts (MSA), Giza, Egypt
| | - Abdallah S Abdelsattar
- Center for Microbiology and Phage Therapy, Zewail City of Science and Technology, Giza, Egypt
| | - Ayman El-Shibiny
- Center for Microbiology and Phage Therapy, Zewail City of Science and Technology, Giza, Egypt; Faculty of Environmental Agricultural Sciences, Arish University, Arish, Egypt
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12
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Shivaram KB, Bhatt P, Applegate B, Simsek H. Bacteriophage-based biocontrol technology to enhance the efficiency of wastewater treatment and reduce targeted bacterial biofilms. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 862:160723. [PMID: 36496019 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160723] [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: 10/04/2022] [Revised: 11/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater treatment is an essential process for public health and a sustainable ecosystem. Inadequate wastewater treatment can lead to the release of organic and inorganic pollutants and pathogenic bacteria into the receiving waters which could be further utilized for recreation purposes. The interaction between bacteriophage and bacteria in a wastewater treatment plant plays a major role in maintaining the treatment process. Phage therapy has been proposed as an alternative to conventional treatment methods as bacteriophages can be used on specific targets and leave useful bacteria unharmed. The bacterial species, which are responsible for bulking, foaming, and biofilm formation in a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) have been identified and their respective phages are isolated to control their growth. Phages with lytic life cycles are preferred to lysogenic. Lytic phages can kill the specific target as they lyse the cell, infect most of the hosts, and have an immediate effect on controlling problems caused by bacteria in a WWTP. The bacteriophages such as T7, SPI1, GTE7, PhaxI, MAG1, MAG2, ϕPh_Se01, ϕPh_Se02, and Bxb1 have been investigated for the removal of bacterial biofilms from wastewater. Novel experimental setups have improved the efficiency of phage therapy in small-scale and pilot-scale experiments. Much more in-depth knowledge of the microbial community and their interaction would help promote the usage of phage therapy in large-scale wastewater treatments. This paper has covered the recent advancements in phage therapy as an effective biocontrol of pathogenic bacteria in the wastewater treatment process and has looked at certain shortcomings that have to be improved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karthik Basthi Shivaram
- Department of Agricultural & Biological Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47906, USA
| | - Pankaj Bhatt
- Department of Agricultural & Biological Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47906, USA
| | - Bruce Applegate
- Department of Food Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47906, USA
| | - Halis Simsek
- Department of Agricultural & Biological Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47906, USA.
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13
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More's the Same-Multiple Hosts Do Not Select for Broader Host Range Phages. Viruses 2023; 15:v15020518. [PMID: 36851732 PMCID: PMC9960766 DOI: 10.3390/v15020518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2022] [Revised: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophage host range is a result of the interactions between phages and their hosts. For phage therapy, phages with a broader host range are desired so that a phage can infect and kill the broadest range of pathogen strains or related species possible. A common, but not well-tested, belief is that using multiple hosts during the phage isolation will make the isolation of broader host range phage more likely. Using a Bacillus cereus group system, we compared the host ranges of phages isolated on one or four hosts and found that there was no difference in the breadth of host ranges of the isolated phages. Both narrow and broader host range phage were also equally likely to be isolated from either isolation procedure. While there are methods that reliably isolate broader host range phages, such as sequential host isolation, and there are other reasons to use multiple hosts during isolation, multiple hosts are not a consistent way to obtain broader host range phages.
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14
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Vasquez I, Retamales J, Parra B, Machimbirike V, Robeson J, Santander J. Comparative Genomics of a Polyvalent Escherichia-Salmonella Phage fp01 and In Silico Analysis of Its Receptor Binding Protein and Conserved Enterobacteriaceae Phage Receptor. Viruses 2023; 15:v15020379. [PMID: 36851593 PMCID: PMC9961651 DOI: 10.3390/v15020379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Revised: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The polyvalent bacteriophage fp01, isolated from wastewater in Valparaiso, Chile, was described to have lytic activity across bacterial species, including Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica serovars. Due to its polyvalent nature, the bacteriophage fp01 has potential applications in the biomedical, food and agricultural industries. Also, fundamental aspects of polyvalent bacteriophage biology are unknown. In this study, we sequenced and described the complete genome of the polyvalent phage fp01 (MH745368.2) using long- (MinION, Nanopore) and short-reads (MiSeq, Illumina) sequencing. The bacteriophage fp01 genome has 109,515 bp, double-stranded DNA with an average G+C content of 39%, and 158 coding sequences (CDSs). Phage fp01 has genes with high similarity to Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica, and Shigella sp. phages. Phylogenetic analyses indicated that the phage fp01 is a new Tequintavirus fp01 specie. Receptor binding protein gp108 was identified as potentially responsible for fp01 polyvalent characteristics, which binds to conserved amino acid regions of the FhuA receptor of Enterobacteriaceae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ignacio Vasquez
- Marine Microbial Pathogenesis and Vaccinology Laboratory, Department of Ocean Science, Memorial University, St. John’s, NL A1C 5S7, Canada
| | - Julio Retamales
- Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad de las Américas, Viña del Mar 2520000, Chile
| | - Barbara Parra
- Subdepartment of Molecular Genetics, Public Health Institute of Chile, Santiago 9140000, Chile
| | - Vimbai Machimbirike
- Marine Microbial Pathogenesis and Vaccinology Laboratory, Department of Ocean Science, Memorial University, St. John’s, NL A1C 5S7, Canada
| | - James Robeson
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Institute of Biology, Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso, Valparaiso 2370000, Chile
- Correspondence: (J.R.); (J.S.)
| | - Javier Santander
- Marine Microbial Pathogenesis and Vaccinology Laboratory, Department of Ocean Science, Memorial University, St. John’s, NL A1C 5S7, Canada
- Correspondence: (J.R.); (J.S.)
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15
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Sun R, Yu P, Zuo P, Villagrán D, Mathieu J, Alvarez PJJ. Biofilm Control in Flow-Through Systems Using Polyvalent Phages Delivered by Peptide-Modified M13 Coliphages with Enhanced Polysaccharide Affinity. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:17177-17187. [PMID: 36413403 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c06561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Eradication of biofilms that may harbor pathogens in water distribution systems is an elusive goal due to limited penetration of residual disinfectants. Here, we explore the use of engineered filamentous coliphage M13 for enhanced biofilm affinity and precise delivery of lytic polyvalent phages (i.e., broad-host-range phages lysing multiple host strains after infection). To promote biofilm attachment, we modified the M13 major coat protein (pVIII) by inserting a peptide sequence with high affinity for Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) extracellular polysaccharides (commonly present on the surface of biofilms in natural and engineered systems). Additionally, we engineered the M13 tail fiber protein (pIII) to contain a peptide sequence capable of binding a specific polyvalent lytic phage. The modified M13 had 102- and 5-fold higher affinity for P. aeruginosa-dominated mixed-species biofilms than wildtype M13 and unconjugated polyvalent phage, respectively. When applied to a simulated water distribution system, the resulting phage conjugates achieved targeted phage delivery to the biofilm and were more effective than polyvalent phages alone in reducing live bacterial biomass (84 vs 34%) and biofilm surface coverage (81 vs 22%). Biofilm regrowth was also mitigated as high phage concentrations induced residual bacteria to downregulate genes associated with quorum sensing and extracellular polymeric substance secretion. Overall, we demonstrate that engineered M13 can enable more accurate delivery of polyvalent phages to biofilms in flow-through systems for enhanced biofilm control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruonan Sun
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Pingfeng Yu
- College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Pengxiao Zuo
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Dino Villagrán
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas 79968, United States
| | - Jacques Mathieu
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Pedro J J Alvarez
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
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16
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Bolsan AC, Rodrigues HC, Abilhôa HCZ, Hollas CE, Venturin B, Gabiatti NC, Bortoli M, Kunz A, De Prá MC. Bacteriophages in wastewater treatment: can they be an approach to optimize biological treatment processes? ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:89889-89898. [PMID: 36367646 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-24000-w] [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: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
In this paper, we explore the applications of bacteriophages and the advantages of using these viruses to control undesirable organisms in wastewater treatment plants. Based on this, this paper reviewed the literature on the subject by performing a bibliometric and scientometric analysis of articles published in peer-reviewed journals through 2021. We obtained 806 publications, of which 40% were published in the last 5 years, demonstrating an increase in interest in the subject. These articles analyzed, bacteriophages in treatment plants were strongly linked to bacteria such as Escherichia coli and related to disinfection, inactivation, sewage, and wastewater, in addition, biocontrol studies have gained prominence in recent years, particularly due to the resistance of microorganisms to antibiotics. Studies have shown that bacteriophages have great potential for application in treatment systems to control unwanted processes and act as valuable economic and environmental tools to improve the efficiency of various treatment technologies. Although these viruses have already been studied in various applications to optimize treatment plant processes, technology transfer remains a challenge due to the limitations of the technique-such as physicochemical factors related to the environment-and the complexity of biological systems. The research focusing on application strategies in conjunction with molecular biology techniques can expand this study area, enabling the discovery of new bacteriophages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Chiapetti Bolsan
- Universidade Tecnológica Federal Do Paraná, Campus Dois Vizinhos, UTFPR-DV/PPGBIOTEC-DV, Dois Vizinhos, PR, Brazil
| | - Heloisa Campeão Rodrigues
- Universidade Tecnológica Federal Do Paraná, Campus Dois Vizinhos, UTFPR-DV/PPGBIOTEC-DV, Dois Vizinhos, PR, Brazil
| | - Hélen Caroline Zonta Abilhôa
- Universidade Tecnológica Federal Do Paraná, Campus Francisco Beltrão, UTFPR-FB/PPGEA-FB, Francisco Beltrão, PR, Brazil
| | - Camila Ester Hollas
- Universidade Estadual Do Oeste Do Paraná, UNIOESTE/CCET/PGEAGRI, Cascavel, PR, Brazil
| | - Bruno Venturin
- Universidade Estadual Do Oeste Do Paraná, UNIOESTE/CCET/PGEAGRI, Cascavel, PR, Brazil
| | - Naiana Cristine Gabiatti
- Universidade Tecnológica Federal Do Paraná, Campus Dois Vizinhos, UTFPR-DV/PPGBIOTEC-DV, Dois Vizinhos, PR, Brazil
| | - Marcelo Bortoli
- Universidade Tecnológica Federal Do Paraná, Campus Francisco Beltrão, UTFPR-FB/PPGEA-FB, Francisco Beltrão, PR, Brazil
| | - Airton Kunz
- Universidade Estadual Do Oeste Do Paraná, UNIOESTE/CCET/PGEAGRI, Cascavel, PR, Brazil
- Embrapa Suínos E Aves, Concórdia, SC, 89715-899, Brazil
| | - Marina Celant De Prá
- Universidade Tecnológica Federal Do Paraná, Campus Dois Vizinhos, UTFPR-DV/PPGBIOTEC-DV, Dois Vizinhos, PR, Brazil.
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17
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Modeling the Directed Evolution of Broad Host Range Phages. Antibiotics (Basel) 2022; 11:antibiotics11121709. [PMID: 36551366 PMCID: PMC9774779 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11121709] [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: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: The host ranges of individual phages tend to be narrow, yet many applications of phages would benefit from expanded host ranges. Empirical methods have been developed to direct the evolution of phages to attack new strains, but the methods have not been evaluated or compared for their consequences. In particular, how do different methods favor generalist (broad host range) phages over specialist phages? All methods involve exposing phages to two or more novel bacterial strains, but the methods differ in the order in which those hosts are presented through time: Parallel presentation, Sequential presentation, and Mixed presentation. Methods: We use a combination of simple analytical methods and numerical analyses to study the effect of these different protocols on the selection of generalist versus specialist phages. Results: The three presentation protocols have profoundly different consequences for the evolution of generalist versus specialist phages. Sequential presentation favors generalists almost to the exclusion of specialists, whereas Parallel presentation does the least so. However, other protocol attributes (the nature of dilution between transfers of phages to new cultures) also have effects on selection and phage maintenance. It is also noted that protocols can be designed to enhance recombination to augment evolution and to reduce stochastic loss of newly arisen mutants.
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18
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Jaglan AB, Anand T, Verma R, Vashisth M, Virmani N, Bera BC, Vaid RK, Tripathi BN. Tracking the phage trends: A comprehensive review of applications in therapy and food production. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:993990. [PMID: 36504807 PMCID: PMC9730251 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.993990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
In the present scenario, the challenge of emerging antimicrobial resistance is affecting human health globally. The increasing incidences of multidrug-resistant infections have become harder to treat, causing high morbidity, and mortality, and are posing extensive financial loss. Limited discovery of new antibiotic molecules has further complicated the situation and has forced researchers to think and explore alternatives to antibiotics. This has led to the resurgence of the bacteriophages as an effective alternative as they have a proven history in the Eastern world where lytic bacteriophages have been used since their first implementation over a century ago. To help researchers and clinicians towards strengthening bacteriophages as a more effective, safe, and economical therapeutic alternative, the present review provides an elaborate narrative about the important aspects of bacteriophages. It abridges the prerequisite essential requirements of phage therapy, the role of phage biobank, and the details of immune responses reported while using bacteriophages in the clinical trials/compassionate grounds by examining the up-to-date case reports and their effects on the human gut microbiome. This review also discusses the potential of bacteriophages as a biocontrol agent against food-borne diseases in the food industry and aquaculture, in addition to clinical therapy. It finishes with a discussion of the major challenges, as well as phage therapy and phage-mediated biocontrols future prospects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anu Bala Jaglan
- Department of Zoology and Aquaculture, Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, India
| | - Taruna Anand
- ICAR – National Research Centre on Equines, Hisar, India,*Correspondence: Taruna Anand,
| | - Ravikant Verma
- Department of Zoology and Aquaculture, Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, India
| | - Medhavi Vashisth
- Department of Molecular Biology, Biotechnology, and Bioinformatics, Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, India
| | - Nitin Virmani
- ICAR – National Research Centre on Equines, Hisar, India
| | - B. C. Bera
- ICAR – National Research Centre on Equines, Hisar, India
| | - R. K. Vaid
- ICAR – National Research Centre on Equines, Hisar, India
| | - B. N. Tripathi
- Animal Science Division, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi, India
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19
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Tang X, Fan C, Zeng G, Zhong L, Li C, Ren X, Song B, Liu X. Phage-host interactions: The neglected part of biological wastewater treatment. WATER RESEARCH 2022; 226:119183. [PMID: 36244146 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.119183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2022] [Revised: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
In wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), the stable operation of biological wastewater treatment is strongly dependent on the stability of associated microbiota. Bacteriophages (phages), viruses that specifically infect bacteria and archaea, are highly abundant and diverse in WWTPs. Although phages do not have known metabolic functions for themselves, they can shape functional microbiota via various phage-host interactions to impact biological wastewater treatment. However, the developments of phage-host interaction in WWTPs and their impact on biological wastewater treatment are overlooked. Here, we review the current knowledge regarding the phage-host interactions in biological wastewater treatment, mainly focusing on the characteristics of different phage populations, the phage-driven changes in functional microbiota, and the potential driving factors of phage-host interactions. We also discuss the efforts required further to understand and manipulate the phage-host interactions in biological wastewater treatment. Overall, this review advocates more attention to the phage dynamics in WWTPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Tang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University and Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University), Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082, P.R. China
| | - Changzheng Fan
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University and Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University), Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082, P.R. China.
| | - Guangming Zeng
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University and Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University), Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082, P.R. China
| | - Linrui Zhong
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University and Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University), Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082, P.R. China
| | - Chao Li
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University and Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University), Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082, P.R. China; Nova Skantek (Hunan) Environ Energy Co., Ltd., Changsha 410100, P.R. China
| | - Xiaoya Ren
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University and Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University), Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082, P.R. China
| | - Biao Song
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University and Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University), Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082, P.R. China
| | - Xigui Liu
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University and Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University), Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082, P.R. China
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20
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In Vitro Techniques and Measurements of Phage Characteristics That Are Important for Phage Therapy Success. Viruses 2022; 14:v14071490. [PMID: 35891470 PMCID: PMC9323186 DOI: 10.3390/v14071490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 06/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Validated methods for phage selection, host range expansion, and lytic activity determination are indispensable for maximizing phage therapy outcomes. In this review, we describe some relevant methods, highlighting their advantages and disadvantages, and categorize them as preliminary or confirmatory methods where appropriate. Experimental conditions, such as the composition and consistency of culture media, have an impact on bacterial growth and, consequently, phage propagation and the selection of phage-resistant mutants. The phages require different experimental conditions to be tested to fully reveal their characteristics and phage therapy potential in view of their future use in therapy. Phage lytic activity or virulence should be considered as a result of the phage, its host, and intracellular/environmental factors, including the ability of a phage to recognize receptors on the bacterial cell surface. In vitro quantitative and qualitative measurements of phage characteristics, further validated by in vivo experiments, could be incorporated into one system or mathematical model/formula, which could predict a potential successful outcome of clinical applications.
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21
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Gu X, Huang D, Chen J, Li X, Zhou Y, Huang M, Liu Y, Yu P. Bacterial Inactivation and Biofilm Disruption through Indigenous Prophage Activation Using Low-Intensity Cold Atmospheric Plasma. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:8920-8931. [PMID: 35438974 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c01516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Biofilms can be pervasive and problematic in water treatment and distribution systems but are difficult to eradicate due to hindered penetration of antimicrobial chemicals. Here, we demonstrate that indigenous prophages activated by low-intensity plasma have the potential for efficient bacterial inactivation and biofilm disruption. Specifically, low-intensity plasma treatment (i.e., 35.20 W) elevated the intracellular oxidative reactive species (ROS) levels by 184%, resulting in the activation of prophage lambda (λ) within antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli K-12 (lambda+) [E. coli (λ+)]. The phage activation efficiency was 6.50-fold higher than the conventional mitomycin C induction. Following a cascading effect, the activated phages were released upon the lysis of E. coli (λ+), which propagated further and lysed phage-susceptible E. coli K-12 (lambda-) [E. coli (λ-)] within the biofilm. Bacterial intracellular ROS analysis and ROS scavenger tests revealed the importance of plasma-generated ROS (e.g., •OH, 1O2, and •O2-) and associated intracellular oxidative stress on prophage activation. In a mixed-species biofilm on a permeable membrane surface, our "inside-out" strategy could inactivate total bacteria by 49% and increase the membrane flux by 4.33-fold. Furthermore, the metagenomic analysis revealed that the decrease in bacterial abundance was closely associated with the increase in phage levels. As a proof-of-concept, this is the first demonstration of indigenous prophage activations by low-intensity plasma for antibiotic-resistant bacterial inactivation and biofilm eradication, which opens up a new avenue for managing associated microbial problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xia Gu
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Songjiang, Shanghai 201620, China
| | - Dan Huang
- College of Environment and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Juhong Chen
- Department of Biological Systems Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061-0131, United States
| | - Xiang Li
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Songjiang, Shanghai 201620, China
| | - Yongquan Zhou
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Songjiang, Shanghai 201620, China
| | - Manhong Huang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Songjiang, Shanghai 201620, China
| | - Yanan Liu
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Songjiang, Shanghai 201620, China
| | - Pingfeng Yu
- College of Environment and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
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22
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Venturini C, Petrovic Fabijan A, Fajardo Lubian A, Barbirz S, Iredell J. Biological foundations of successful bacteriophage therapy. EMBO Mol Med 2022; 14:e12435. [PMID: 35620963 PMCID: PMC9260219 DOI: 10.15252/emmm.202012435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophages (phages) are selective viral predators of bacteria. Abundant and ubiquitous in nature, phages can be used to treat bacterial infections (phage therapy), including refractory infections and those resistant to antibiotics. However, despite an abundance of anecdotal evidence of efficacy, significant hurdles remain before routine implementation of phage therapy into medical practice, including a dearth of robust clinical trial data. Phage-bacterium interactions are complex and diverse, characterized by co-evolution trajectories that are significantly influenced by the environments in which they occur (mammalian body sites, water, soil, etc.). An understanding of the molecular mechanisms underpinning these dynamics is essential for successful clinical translation. This review aims to cover key aspects of bacterium-phage interactions that affect bacterial killing by describing the most relevant published literature and detailing the current knowledge gaps most likely to influence therapeutic success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carola Venturini
- Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Westmead, NSW, Australia.,Faculty of Science, Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Aleksandra Petrovic Fabijan
- Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Westmead, NSW, Australia.,Faculty of Health and Medicine, School of Medicine, Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Alicia Fajardo Lubian
- Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Westmead, NSW, Australia.,Faculty of Health and Medicine, School of Medicine, Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Stefanie Barbirz
- Department of Medicine, Science Faculty, MSB Medical School Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jonathan Iredell
- Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Westmead, NSW, Australia.,Faculty of Health and Medicine, School of Medicine, Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Westmead Hospital, Western Sydney Local Health District, Westmead, NSW, Australia
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23
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Nepal R, Houtak G, Karki S, Dhungana G, Vreugde S, Malla R. Genomic characterization of three bacteriophages targeting multidrug resistant clinical isolates of Escherichia, Klebsiella and Salmonella. Arch Microbiol 2022; 204:334. [PMID: 35585249 PMCID: PMC9117343 DOI: 10.1007/s00203-022-02948-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 04/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Application of bacteriophages (phages) to treat complex multidrug-resistant bacterial infection is gaining traction because of its efficacy and universal availability. However, as phages are specific to their host, a diverse collection of locally isolated phage from various geographical locations is required to formulate a wide host range phage cocktail. Here, we report morphological and genomic features of three newly isolated phages from river water of the urban region in Kathmandu, Nepal, targeting three different bacteria (Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Salmonella enterica.) from the Enterobacteriaceae family. Morphological identification and genome analysis indicated that two phages (Escherichia phage vB_EcoM_TU01 and Klebsiella phage vB_KpnP_TU02) were strictly lytic and free from integrases, virulence factors, toxins and known antimicrobial resistance genes, whereas Salmonella phage vB_SalS_TU03 was possibly a temperate phage. The genomic features of these phages indicate that natural phages are capable of lysing pathogenic bacteria and may have potential in bacterial biocontrol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roshan Nepal
- Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia. .,Department of Surgery-Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, The Basil Hetzel Institute for Translational Health Research, Central Adelaide Local Health Network, South Australia, Australia.
| | - Ghais Houtak
- Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia.,Department of Surgery-Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, The Basil Hetzel Institute for Translational Health Research, Central Adelaide Local Health Network, South Australia, Australia
| | - Sumeena Karki
- Central Department of Biotechnology, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, Nepal
| | - Gunaraj Dhungana
- Central Department of Biotechnology, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, Nepal
| | - Sarah Vreugde
- Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia.,Department of Surgery-Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, The Basil Hetzel Institute for Translational Health Research, Central Adelaide Local Health Network, South Australia, Australia
| | - Rajani Malla
- Central Department of Biotechnology, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, Nepal
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24
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Schwarz C, Mathieu J, Laverde Gomez JA, Yu P, Alvarez PJJ. Renaissance for Phage-Based Bacterial Control. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:4691-4701. [PMID: 34793127 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c06232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Bacteriophages (phages) are an underutilized biological resource with vast potential for pathogen control and microbiome editing. Phage research and commercialization have increased rapidly in biomedical and agricultural industries, but adoption has been limited elsewhere. Nevertheless, converging advances in DNA sequencing, bioinformatics, microbial ecology, and synthetic biology are now poised to broaden phage applications beyond pathogen control toward the manipulation of microbial communities for defined functional improvements. Enhancements in sequencing combined with network analysis make it now feasible to identify and disrupt microbial associations to elicit desirable shifts in community structure or function, indirectly modulate species abundance, and target hub or keystone species to achieve broad functional shifts. Sequencing and bioinformatic advancements are also facilitating the use of temperate phages for safe gene delivery applications. Finally, integration of synthetic biology stands to create novel phage chassis and modular genetic components. While some fundamental, regulatory, and commercialization barriers to widespread phage use remain, many major challenges that have impeded the field now have workable solutions. Thus, a new dawn for phage-based (chemical-free) precise biocontrol and microbiome editing is on the horizon to enhance, suppress, or modulate microbial activities important for public health, food security, and more sustainable energy production and water reuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cory Schwarz
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
- Sentinel Environmental, Houston, Texas 77082, United States
| | - Jacques Mathieu
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
- Sentinel Environmental, Houston, Texas 77082, United States
| | - Jenny A Laverde Gomez
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
- Sentinel Environmental, Houston, Texas 77082, United States
| | - Pingfeng Yu
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Pedro J J Alvarez
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
- Sentinel Environmental, Houston, Texas 77082, United States
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25
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Bacteriophage therapy in aquaculture: current status and future challenges. Folia Microbiol (Praha) 2022; 67:573-590. [PMID: 35305247 DOI: 10.1007/s12223-022-00965-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The escalation of antibiotic resistance has revitalized bacteriophage (phage) therapy. Recently, phage therapy has been gradually applied in medicine, agriculture, food, and environmental fields due to its distinctive features of high efficiency, specificity, and environmental friendliness compared to antibiotics. Likewise, phage therapy also holds great promise in controlling pathogenic bacteria in aquaculture. The application of phage therapy instead of antibiotics to eliminate pathogenic bacteria such as Vibrio, Pseudomonas, Aeromonas, and Flavobacterium and to reduce fish mortality in aquaculture has been frequently reported. In this context, the present review summarizes and analyzes the current status of phage therapy in aquaculture, focusing on the key parameters of phage application, such as phage isolation, selection, dosage, and administration modes, and introducing the strategies and methods to boost efficacy and restrain the emergence of resistance. In addition, we discussed the human safety, environmental friendliness, and techno-economic practicability of phage therapy in aquaculture. Finally, this review outlines the current challenges of phage therapy application in aquaculture from the perspectives of phage resistance, phage-mediated resistance gene transfer, and effects on the host immune system.
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26
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Sun R, Yu P, Zuo P, Alvarez PJ. Bacterial Concentrations and Water Turbulence Influence the Importance of Conjugation Versus Phage-Mediated Antibiotic Resistance Gene Transfer in Suspended Growth Systems. ACS ENVIRONMENTAL AU 2022; 2:156-165. [PMID: 37101581 PMCID: PMC10114721 DOI: 10.1021/acsenvironau.1c00027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Despite the abundance of phage-borne antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the environment, the frequency of ARG propagation via phage-mediated transduction (relative to via conjugation) is poorly understood. We investigated the influence of bacterial concentration and water turbulence level [quantified as Reynold's number (Re)] in suspended growth systems on the frequency of ARG transfer by two mechanisms: delivery by a lysogenic phage (phage λ carrying gentamycin-resistance gene, genR) and conjugation mediated by the self-transmissible plasmid RP4. Using Escherichia coli (E. coli) as the recipient, phage delivery had a comparable frequency (1.2 ± 0.9 × 10-6) to that of conjugation (1.1 ± 0.9 × 10-6) in suspensions with low cell concentration (104 CFU/mL) and moderate turbulence (Re = 5 × 104). Turbulence affected cell (or phage)-to-cell contact rates and detachment (due to shear force), and thus, it affected the relative importance of conjugation versus phage delivery. At 107 CFU/mL, no significant difference was observed between the frequencies of ARG transfer by the two mechanisms under quiescent water conditions (2.8 ± 0.3 × 10-5 for conjugation vs 2.2 ± 0.5 × 10-5 for phage delivery, p = 0.19) or when Re reached 5 × 105 (3.4 ± 1.5 × 10-5 for conjugation vs 2.9 ± 1.0 × 10-5 for phage delivery, p = 0.52). Transcriptomic analysis of genes related to conjugation and phage delivery and simulation of cell (or phage)-to-cell collisions at different Re values corroborate that the importance of phage delivery relative to conjugation increases under either quiescent or turbulent conditions. This finding challenges the prevailing view that conjugation is the dominant ARG transfer mechanism and underscores the need to consider and mitigate potential ARG dissemination via transduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruonan Sun
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Pingfeng Yu
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Pengxiao Zuo
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Pedro J.J. Alvarez
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
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27
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Deploying Viruses against Phytobacteria: Potential Use of Phage Cocktails as a Multifaceted Approach to Combat Resistant Bacterial Plant Pathogens. Viruses 2022; 14:v14020171. [PMID: 35215763 PMCID: PMC8879233 DOI: 10.3390/v14020171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Revised: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Plants in nature are under the persistent intimidation of severe microbial diseases, threatening a sustainable food production system. Plant-bacterial pathogens are a major concern in the contemporary era, resulting in reduced plant growth and productivity. Plant antibiotics and chemical-based bactericides have been extensively used to evade plant bacterial diseases. To counteract this pressure, bacteria have evolved an array of resistance mechanisms, including innate and adaptive immune systems. The emergence of resistant bacteria and detrimental consequences of antimicrobial compounds on the environment and human health, accentuates the development of an alternative disease evacuation strategy. The phage cocktail therapy is a multidimensional approach effectively employed for the biocontrol of diverse resistant bacterial infections without affecting the fauna and flora. Phages engage a diverse set of counter defense strategies to undermine wide-ranging anti-phage defense mechanisms of bacterial pathogens. Microbial ecology, evolution, and dynamics of the interactions between phage and plant-bacterial pathogens lead to the engineering of robust phage cocktail therapeutics for the mitigation of devastating phytobacterial diseases. In this review, we highlight the concrete and fundamental determinants in the development and application of phage cocktails and their underlying mechanism, combating resistant plant-bacterial pathogens. Additionally, we provide recent advances in the use of phage cocktail therapy against phytobacteria for the biocontrol of devastating plant diseases.
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Chaudhary N, Mohan B, Mavuduru RS, Kumar Y, Taneja N. Characterization, genome analysis and in vitro activity of a novel phage vB_EcoA_RDN8.1 active against multi-drug resistant and extensively drug-resistant biofilm-forming uropathogenic Escherichia coli isolates, India. J Appl Microbiol 2022; 132:3387-3404. [PMID: 34989075 DOI: 10.1111/jam.15439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2021] [Revised: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
AIM We aimed to study host range, stability, genome and antibiofilm activity of a novel phage vB_EcoA_RDN8.1 active against multi-drug resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) biofilm-forming uropathogenic Escherichia coli isolates. METHODS AND RESULTS A novel lytic phage vB_EcoA_RDN8.1 active against UPEC strains resistant to third-generation cephalosporins, fluoroquinolones, aminoglycosides, imipenem, beta-lactamase inhibitor combination and polymyxins was isolated from community raw sewage water of Chandigarh. It exhibited a clear plaque morphology and a burst size of 250. In the time-kill assay, the maximum amount of killing was achieved at MOI 1.0. vB_EcoA_RDN8.1 belongs to the family Autographiviridae, has a genome size of 39.5 kb with a GC content of 51.6%. It was stable over a wide range of temperatures and pH. It was able to inhibit biofilm formation which may be related to an endolysin encoded by ORF 19. CONCLUSIONS The vB_EcoA_RDN8.1 is a novel lytic phage that has the potential for inclusion into phage cocktails being developed for the treatment of urinary tract infections (UTIs) caused by highly drug-resistant UPEC. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY We provide a detailed characterization of a novel lytic Escherichia phage with antibiofilm activity having a potential application against MDR and XDR UPEC causing UTIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naveen Chaudhary
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - Balvinder Mohan
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - Ravimohan S Mavuduru
- Department of Urology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - Yashwant Kumar
- Central Research Institute, National Salmonella and Escherichia Centre, Kasauli, India
| | - Neelam Taneja
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
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29
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Li L, Yu M, Yang C, Deng C, Ma L, Liu Y. Effects of abiotic factors on the stability and infectivity of polyvalent coliphage. WATER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY : A JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION ON WATER POLLUTION RESEARCH 2022; 85:141-151. [PMID: 35050872 DOI: 10.2166/wst.2021.505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Bacteriophage has attracted growing interest as a promising therapeutic agent for pathogenic bacteria, especially for antibiotic-resistant bacteria. However, the various abiotic conditions could impact the stability of phages and further threat host-virus interactions. Here, we investigated the stability and lytic activity of virulent polyvalent coliphage (named PE1) by double-layer plaque assay. PE1 can efficiently infect both the drug-sensitive Escherichia coli K12 and multidrug-resistant E. coli NDM-1 even after prolonged storage at 4 °C for up to two months. Results showed that PE1 exhibits an outstanding stability to infect E. coli strains under a wide range of thermal (4 °C-60 °C) and pH (4-11) conditions, which covers the thermal and pH variations of most wastewater treatment plants. Moreover, PE1 exhibited high resistibility to heavy metals exposure including Cu2+, Cd2+, Co2+, and Cr3+ at the concentrations below 0.5 mM, and an excellent resistant ability to the variation of ionic strength, which still retained strong infectious ability even treated with saturated sodium chloride solution (350 g/L). This work shows that polyvalent phage PE1 has a strong adaptive capacity to various abiotic factors and should be a good candidate of being an antibacterial agent, especially for antibiotic-resistant bacteria control in sewage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingli Li
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610500, PR China E-mail: ; Research Institute of Industrial Hazardous Waste Disposal and Resource Utilization, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610500, PR China
| | - Ming Yu
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610500, PR China E-mail:
| | - Chao Yang
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610500, PR China E-mail:
| | - Chunping Deng
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610500, PR China E-mail:
| | - Lili Ma
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610500, PR China E-mail:
| | - Yucheng Liu
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610500, PR China E-mail: ; Research Institute of Industrial Hazardous Waste Disposal and Resource Utilization, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610500, PR China
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30
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Martinez-Soto CE, Cucić S, Lin JT, Kirst S, Mahmoud ES, Khursigara CM, Anany H. PHIDA: A High Throughput Turbidimetric Data Analytic Tool to Compare Host Range Profiles of Bacteriophages Isolated Using Different Enrichment Methods. Viruses 2021; 13:2120. [PMID: 34834927 PMCID: PMC8623551 DOI: 10.3390/v13112120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2021] [Revised: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophages are viruses that infect bacteria and are present in niches where bacteria thrive. In recent years, the suggested application areas of lytic bacteriophage have been expanded to include therapy, biocontrol, detection, sanitation, and remediation. However, phage application is constrained by the phage's host range-the range of bacterial hosts sensitive to the phage and the degree of infection. Even though phage isolation and enrichment techniques are straightforward protocols, the correlation between the enrichment technique and host range profile has not been evaluated. Agar-based methods such as spotting assay and efficiency of plaquing (EOP) are the most used methods to determine the phage host range. These methods, aside from being labor intensive, can lead to subjective and incomplete results as they rely on qualitative observations of the lysis/plaques, do not reflect the lytic activity in liquid culture, and can overestimate the host range. In this study, phages against three bacterial genera were isolated using three different enrichment methods. Host range profiles of the isolated phages were quantitatively determined using a high throughput turbidimetric protocol and the data were analyzed with an accessible analytic tool "PHIDA". Using this tool, the host ranges of 9 Listeria, 14 Salmonella, and 20 Pseudomonas phages isolated with different enrichment methods were quantitatively compared. A high variability in the host range index (HRi) ranging from 0.86-0.63, 0.07-0.24, and 0.00-0.67 for Listeria, Salmonella, and Pseudomonas phages, respectively, was observed. Overall, no direct correlation was found between the phage host range breadth and the enrichment method in any of the three target bacterial genera. The high throughput method and analytics tool developed in this study can be easily adapted to any phage study and can provide a consensus for phage host range determination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos E. Martinez-Soto
- Guelph Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Guelph, ON N1G 5C9, Canada; (C.E.M.-S.); (S.C.); (J.T.L.); (S.K.); (C.M.K.)
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, College of Biological Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Stevan Cucić
- Guelph Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Guelph, ON N1G 5C9, Canada; (C.E.M.-S.); (S.C.); (J.T.L.); (S.K.); (C.M.K.)
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, College of Biological Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Janet T. Lin
- Guelph Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Guelph, ON N1G 5C9, Canada; (C.E.M.-S.); (S.C.); (J.T.L.); (S.K.); (C.M.K.)
| | - Sarah Kirst
- Guelph Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Guelph, ON N1G 5C9, Canada; (C.E.M.-S.); (S.C.); (J.T.L.); (S.K.); (C.M.K.)
| | - El Sayed Mahmoud
- Faculty of Applied Science and Technology, The Sheridan College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning, Oakville, ON L6H 2L1, Canada;
| | - Cezar M. Khursigara
- Guelph Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Guelph, ON N1G 5C9, Canada; (C.E.M.-S.); (S.C.); (J.T.L.); (S.K.); (C.M.K.)
| | - Hany Anany
- Guelph Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Guelph, ON N1G 5C9, Canada; (C.E.M.-S.); (S.C.); (J.T.L.); (S.K.); (C.M.K.)
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, College of Biological Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
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31
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Characterization of a New and Efficient Polyvalent Phage Infecting E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella spp., and Shigella sonnei. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9102105. [PMID: 34683426 PMCID: PMC8540833 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9102105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Revised: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Ongoing outbreaks of foodborne diseases remain a significant public health concern. Lytic phages provide promising attributes as biocontrol agents. This study characterized KFS-EC3, a polyvalent and lytic phage, which was isolated from slaughterhouse sewage and purified by cesium chloride density centrifugation. Host range and efficiency of plating analyses revealed that KFS-EC3 is polyvalent and can efficiently infect E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella spp., and Shigella sonnei. KFS-EC3 had a latent time of 20 min and burst size of ~71 phages/infected cell. KFS-EC3 was stable and infectious following storage at a pH range of 3 to 11 and a temperature range of -70 °C to 60 °C. KFS-EC3 could inhibit E. coli O157:H7 growth by 2 logs up to 52 h even at the lowest MOI of 0.001. Genomic analysis of KFS-EC3 revealed that it consisted of 167,440 bp and 273 ORFs identified as functional genes, without any genes associated with antibiotic resistance, virulence, allergenicity, and lysogenicity. This phage was finally classified into the Tequatrovirus genus of the Myoviridae family. In conclusion, KFS-EC3 could simultaneously infect E. coli O157:H7, S. sonnei, and Salmonella spp. with the lowest MOI values over long periods, suggesting its suitability for simultaneous pathogen control in foods.
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32
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Addablah AYA, Kakou-Ngazoa S, Akpa EE, M'Bourou Ndombi F, Adioumani E, Koudou A, Coulibaly N'Golo D, Kouame Sina M, Kouassi SK, Aoussi S, Dosso M. Investigation of Phages Infecting Escherichia coli Strains B and C, and Enterobacter cloacae in Sewage and Ebrié Lagoon, Côte d'Ivoire. PHAGE (NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y.) 2021; 2:104-111. [PMID: 36161244 PMCID: PMC9041496 DOI: 10.1089/phage.2020.0047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Background: Bacteriophages are a promising biotechnological against bacterial pathogens. Currently, phage research is garnering interest in sub-Saharan countries as bacterial resistance to antibiotics becomes widespread. They are sought in all environments as they offer the possibility of a sustainable alternative to antibiotics. Materials and Methods: Altogether 30 water samples from urban sewage and environmental water were screened for the presence of bacteriophages able to infect Escherichia coli and Enterobacter cloacae. Their genomic diversity was determined by random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD)-PCR fingerprinting. Results: We isolated 35 phages including 9 polyvalent phages that infect simultaneously E. coli and E. cloacae. This study allowed first isolation of E. cloacae-specific phages in Côte d'Ivoire. All phages were distinct based on their RAPD band patterns. Conclusions: Sewage systems of Yopougon and the environmental water of Ebrié lagoon were a rich source of phages. The phage collection could be useful for phage application in Côte d'Ivoire.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ameyo Yayra Audrey Addablah
- Plateforme de Biologie Moléculaire, Département Technique et Technologie, Institut Pasteur de Côte d'Ivoire, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.,Laboratoire de Pharmacodynamie biochimique, Biosciences, Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.,Address correspondence to: Ameyo Yayra Audrey Addablah, MS, Plateforme de Biologie Moléculaire, Département Technologie et Technique, Institut Pasteur de Côte d'Ivoire, Abidjan 01 BP 490, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - Solange Kakou-Ngazoa
- Plateforme de Biologie Moléculaire, Département Technique et Technologie, Institut Pasteur de Côte d'Ivoire, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.,Address correspondence to: Solange Kakou-Ngazoa, PhD, Plateforme de Biologie Moléculaire, Département Technologie et Technique, Institut Pasteur de Côte d'Ivoire, Abidjan 01 BP 490, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - Eric Essoh Akpa
- Laboratoire de Pharmacodynamie biochimique, Biosciences, Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - Fred M'Bourou Ndombi
- Plateforme de Biologie Moléculaire, Département Technique et Technologie, Institut Pasteur de Côte d'Ivoire, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - Emmanuella Adioumani
- Plateforme de Biologie Moléculaire, Département Technique et Technologie, Institut Pasteur de Côte d'Ivoire, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.,Laboratoire de Pharmacodynamie biochimique, Biosciences, Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - Aristide Koudou
- Plateforme de Biologie Moléculaire, Département Technique et Technologie, Institut Pasteur de Côte d'Ivoire, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - David Coulibaly N'Golo
- Plateforme de Biologie Moléculaire, Département Technique et Technologie, Institut Pasteur de Côte d'Ivoire, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - Mireille Kouame Sina
- Plateforme de Biologie Moléculaire, Département Technique et Technologie, Institut Pasteur de Côte d'Ivoire, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - Stephane Kan Kouassi
- Plateforme de Biologie Moléculaire, Département Technique et Technologie, Institut Pasteur de Côte d'Ivoire, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - Serge Aoussi
- Plateforme de Biologie Moléculaire, Département Technique et Technologie, Institut Pasteur de Côte d'Ivoire, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - Mireille Dosso
- Plateforme de Biologie Moléculaire, Département Technique et Technologie, Institut Pasteur de Côte d'Ivoire, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
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33
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López-Cuevas O, Medrano-Félix JA, Castro-Del Campo N, Chaidez C. Bacteriophage applications for fresh produce food safety. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH RESEARCH 2021; 31:687-702. [PMID: 31646886 DOI: 10.1080/09603123.2019.1680819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2019] [Accepted: 10/11/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Foodborne illnesses, mainly bacteria, are a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Pathogenic bacteria are involved in almost every step within the fresh produce chain compromising the companies' food safety programs and generating an ascending number of foodborne outbreaks in various regions of the world. Recently, bacteriophages return to the status of biocontrol agents. These bacteria-killing viruses are able to reduce or eliminate pathogenic bacterial load from raw and ready to eat foods. Phages are efficient, strain specific, easy to isolate and manipulate, and for that reasons, they have been used in pre and post harvest processes alone or mixed with antimicrobial agents for biocontrolling pathogenic bacteria. In this review, we focused on the feasibility of using lytic bacteriophage on fresh fruits and vegetables industry, considering challenges and perspectives mainly at industrial production level (packinghouses, supermarkets), where high volume of phage preparations and consequently high costs may be required.
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Affiliation(s)
- O López-Cuevas
- Laboratorio Nacional para la Investigación en Inocuidad Alimentari (LANIIA), Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, A.C Culiacán, México
| | - J A Medrano-Félix
- CONACYT-Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, A.C Culiacán, México
| | - N Castro-Del Campo
- Laboratorio Nacional para la Investigación en Inocuidad Alimentari (LANIIA), Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, A.C Culiacán, México
| | - C Chaidez
- Laboratorio Nacional para la Investigación en Inocuidad Alimentari (LANIIA), Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, A.C Culiacán, México
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Zuo P, Yu P, Alvarez PJJ. Aminoglycosides Antagonize Bacteriophage Proliferation, Attenuating Phage Suppression of Bacterial Growth, Biofilm Formation, and Antibiotic Resistance. Appl Environ Microbiol 2021; 87:e0046821. [PMID: 34020940 PMCID: PMC8276799 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00468-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The common cooccurrence of antibiotics and phages in both natural and engineered environments underscores the need to understand their interactions and implications for bacterial control and antibiotic resistance propagation. Here, aminoglycoside antibiotics that inhibit protein synthesis (e.g., kanamycin and neomycin) impeded the replication of coliphage T3 and Bacillus phage BSP, reducing their infection efficiency and mitigating their hindrance of bacterial growth, biofilm formation, and tolerance to antibiotics. For example, treatment with phage T3 reduced subsequent biofilm formation by Escherichia coli liquid cultures to 53% ± 5% of that of the no-phage control, but a smaller reduction of biofilm formation (89% ± 10%) was observed for combined exposure to phage T3 and kanamycin. Despite sharing a similar mode of action with aminoglycosides (i.e., inhibiting protein synthesis) and antagonizing phage replication, albeit to a lesser degree, tetracyclines did not inhibit bacterial control by phages. Phage T3 combined with tetracycline showed higher suppression of biofilm formation than when combined with aminoglycosides (25% ± 6% of the no-phage control). The addition of phage T3 to E. coli suspensions with tetracycline also suppressed the development of tolerance to tetracycline. However, this suppression of antibiotic tolerance development disappeared when tetracycline was replaced with 3 mg/liter kanamycin, corroborating the greater antagonism with aminoglycosides. Overall, this study highlights this overlooked antagonistic effect on phage proliferation, which may attenuate phage suppression of bacterial growth, biofilm formation, antibiotic tolerance, and maintenance of antibiotic resistance genes. IMPORTANCE The coexistence of residual antibiotics and phages is common in many environments, which underscores the need to understand their interactive effects on bacteria and the implications for antibiotic resistance propagation. Here, aminoglycosides acting as bacterial protein synthesis inhibitors impeded the replication of various phages. This alleviated the suppressive effects of phages against bacterial growth and biofilm formation and diminished bacterial fitness costs that suppress the emergence of tolerance to antibiotics. We show that changes in bacteria caused by environmentally relevant concentrations of sublethal antibiotics can affect phage-host dynamics that are commonly overlooked in vitro but can result in unexpected environmental consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengxiao Zuo
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Pingfeng Yu
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Pedro J. J. Alvarez
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA
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Huang D, Yu P, Ye M, Schwarz C, Jiang X, Alvarez PJJ. Enhanced mutualistic symbiosis between soil phages and bacteria with elevated chromium-induced environmental stress. MICROBIOME 2021; 9:150. [PMID: 34183048 PMCID: PMC8240259 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-021-01074-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Microbe-virus interactions have broad implications on the composition, function, and evolution of microbiomes. Elucidating the effects of environmental stresses on these interactions is critical to identify the ecological function of viral communities and understand microbiome environmental adaptation. Heavy metal-contaminated soils represent a relevant ecosystem to study the interplay between microbes, viruses, and environmental stressors. RESULTS Metagenomic analysis revealed that Cr pollution adversely altered the abundance, diversity, and composition of viral and bacterial communities. Host-phage linkage based on CRISPR indicated that, in soils with high Cr contamination, the abundance of phages associated with heavy metal-tolerant hosts increased, as did the relative abundance of phages with broad host ranges (identified as host-phage linkages across genera), which would facilitate transfection and broader distribution of heavy metal resistance genes in the bacterial community. Examining variations along the pollutant gradient, enhanced mutualistic phage-bacterium interactions were observed in the face of greater environmental stresses. Specifically, the fractions of lysogens in bacterial communities (identified by integrase genes within bacterial genomes and prophage induction assay by mitomycin-C) were positively correlated with Cr contamination levels. Furthermore, viral genomic analysis demonstrated that lysogenic phages under higher Cr-induced stresses carried more auxiliary metabolic genes regulating microbial heavy metal detoxification. CONCLUSION With the intensification of Cr-induced environmental stresses, the composition, replication strategy, and ecological function of the phage community all evolve alongside the bacterial community to adapt to extreme habitats. These result in a transformation of the phage-bacterium interaction from parasitism to mutualism in extreme environments and underscore the influential role of phages in bacterial adaptation to pollution-related stress and in related biogeochemical processes. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Huang
- Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, People's Republic of China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, People's Republic of China
| | - Pingfeng Yu
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, Houston, 77005, USA.
| | - Mao Ye
- Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, People's Republic of China.
| | - Cory Schwarz
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, Houston, 77005, USA
| | - Xin Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, People's Republic of China
| | - Pedro J J Alvarez
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, Houston, 77005, USA
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Bacteriophage ecology in biological wastewater treatment systems. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2021; 105:5299-5307. [PMID: 34181033 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-021-11414-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2021] [Revised: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Biological wastewater treatment (BWT) is currently the most widely applied approach for treating wastewater. The performance of BWT systems depends on the complex microbial communities they support. Although bacteriophages (phages), which are the viruses that infect prokaryotes, are recognized as the most abundant life entities, understanding of their ecological roles in BWT systems remains limited. Here, we review recent progress in phage-associated researches in BWT systems, including the interactions between phage and host, polyvalent phages, the influence of phage activity on BWT performance, and the potential applications of phage-based control for sludge bulking/foaming and pathogens. The challenges and perspectives of phage ecology are also outlined, which are expected to provide implications for future research and applications.Key points• Phage-host interactions in BWT systems are summarized• Impacts of phage activities on BWT performance• Potential applications of phages in BWT systems.
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Fong K, Wong CW, Wang S, Delaquis P. How Broad Is Enough: The Host Range of Bacteriophages and Its Impact on the Agri-Food Sector. PHAGE 2021; 2:83-91. [PMID: 36148040 PMCID: PMC9041489 DOI: 10.1089/phage.2020.0036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Novel bacteriophages (phages) possessing a broad host range are consistently and routinely reported, yet there is presently no consensus on the definition of “broad host range.” As phages are increasingly being used in the development of methods for the detection and biocontrol of human pathogens, it is important to address the limitations associated with the host range. For instance, unanticipated host range breadth may result in the detection of nonpathogenic targets, thereby increasing the false-positive rate. Moreover, a broad host range is generally favored in biocontrol applications despite the risk of undesirable ancillary effects against nontarget species. Here, we discuss the research progress, applications, and implications of broad host range phages with a focus on tailed broad host range phages infecting human pathogens of concern in the Agri-Food sector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Fong
- Summerland Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Summerland, Canada
- Address correspondence to: Karen Fong, PhD, Summerland Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Postal Box 5000, Summerland BC V0H1Z0, Canada
| | - Catherine W.Y. Wong
- Food, Nutrition and Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Siyun Wang
- Food, Nutrition and Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Pascal Delaquis
- Summerland Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Summerland, Canada
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Kizheva Y, Eftimova M, Rangelov R, Micheva N, Urshev Z, Rasheva I, Hristova P. Broad host range bacteriophages found in rhizosphere soil of a healthy tomato plant in Bulgaria. Heliyon 2021; 7:e07084. [PMID: 34095579 PMCID: PMC8167218 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e07084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Revised: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The urgent need of research of new approaches to control bacterial disease on economical important crops, focuses our attention on bacteriophages as alternative biocontrol agents. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to present the isolation and initial characterization of three bacteriophages (SfXv124t/1, 2 and 3) isolated from rhizosphere soil of a healthy tomato plant in Bulgaria that are capable to lyse three phytopathogenic bacteria. The initial characterization includes determination of: their host range, plaque morphology, optimal storage temperature of pure phage lysates, their sensitivity to UV light, thermal inactivation, optimal multiplicity of infection (MOI) and virion morphology. The obtained results showed that one of the phage isolates was capable to lyse wild strains from three phytopathogenic bacterial species: Xanthomonas vesicatoria, Xanthomonas euvesicatoria and Xanthomonas gardneri, and the two remaining phages were active against X. vesicatoria and X. euvesicatoria. On X. vesicatoria lawn, the phages produced the same plaque types that differed only in their size. Storage at 4 °C for 26 days did not lead to decrease in phage titer as opposed to storage at 28 °C followed by decrease to varying degree for all three phages. The results obtained after exposure of the phage lysates to sunlight (UVA + B) and UVC light in separate experiments showed that UVC had a potent phagocidal effect as after 50 min of exposure there were no viable phages in the samples. UVA an UVB had lethal effect for two of the phage isolates and absolutely no lethal effect for the third one as after 50 min of exposure to sunlight there was no decrease in the initial phage titer. Phage isolates were tested for their thermal inactivation after incubation of pure phage lysates at three different temperatures: 55 °C, 75 °C and 95 °C for a period of 10 and 30 min. The most lethal temperature turned out to be 95 °C as after 10 min there were no viable phages in the samples. Phage isolate SfXv124t/1 was the most susceptible as its titer decreased by 1 lg after 10 min of incubation at 55 °C and by another 1 lg after 30 min. The most thermally resistant isolate was SfXv124t/3 as its titer remained stable after 30 min of incubation at 55 °C and decreased only by lg after incubation at 75 °C for 10 min. The optimal MOI for SfXv124t/3 was 0,01 (tested range 0,01–100) with maximal phage titer, reported at the 24th hour of incubation. TEM micrographs of the same isolates reveals that it belongs to family Podoviridae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoana Kizheva
- Sofia University St. "Kliment Ohridski", Faculty of Biology, Department of General and Industrial Microbiology, 8 Dragan Tsankov Blvd, Sofia 1000, Bulgaria
| | - Melani Eftimova
- Sofia University St. "Kliment Ohridski", Faculty of Biology, Department of General and Industrial Microbiology, 8 Dragan Tsankov Blvd, Sofia 1000, Bulgaria
| | - Radoslav Rangelov
- Sofia University St. "Kliment Ohridski", Faculty of Biology, Department of General and Industrial Microbiology, 8 Dragan Tsankov Blvd, Sofia 1000, Bulgaria
| | - Neli Micheva
- Sofia University St. "Kliment Ohridski", Faculty of Biology, Department of General and Industrial Microbiology, 8 Dragan Tsankov Blvd, Sofia 1000, Bulgaria
| | - Zoltan Urshev
- LB Bulgaricum Plc., R&D Department, 14 Malashevska Str., Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Iliyana Rasheva
- Sofia University St. "Kliment Ohridski", Faculty of Biology, Department of General and Industrial Microbiology, 8 Dragan Tsankov Blvd, Sofia 1000, Bulgaria
| | - Petya Hristova
- Sofia University St. "Kliment Ohridski", Faculty of Biology, Department of General and Industrial Microbiology, 8 Dragan Tsankov Blvd, Sofia 1000, Bulgaria
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Abdelsattar AS, Dawoud A, Makky S, Nofal R, Aziz RK, El-Shibiny A. Bacteriophages: from isolation to application. Curr Pharm Biotechnol 2021; 23:337-360. [PMID: 33902418 DOI: 10.2174/1389201022666210426092002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Revised: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Bacteriophages are considered as a potential alternative to fight pathogenic bacteria during the antibiotic resistance era. With their high specificity, they are being widely used in various applications: medicine, food industry, agriculture, animal farms, biotechnology, diagnosis, etc. Many techniques have been designed by different researchers for phage isolation, purification, and amplification, each of which has strengths and weaknesses. However, all aim at having a reasonably pure phage sample that can be further characterized. Phages can be characterized based on their physiological, morphological or inactivation tests. Microscopy, in particular, has opened a wide gate not only for visualizing phage morphological structure, but also for monitoring biochemistry and behavior. Meanwhile, computational analysis of phage genomes provides more details about phage history, lifestyle, and potential for toxigenic or lysogenic conversion, which translate to safety in biocontrol and phage therapy applications. This review summarizes phage application pipelines at different levels and addresses specific restrictions and knowledge gaps in the field. Recently developed computational approaches, which are used in phage genome analysis, are critically assessed. We hope that this assessment provides researchers with useful insights for selection of suitable approaches for Phage-related research aims and applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdallah S Abdelsattar
- Center for Microbiology and Phage Therapy, Zewail City of Science and Technology, October Gardens, 6th of October City, Giza, 12578. Egypt
| | - Alyaa Dawoud
- Center for Microbiology and Phage Therapy, Zewail City of Science and Technology, October Gardens, 6th of October City, Giza, 12578. Egypt
| | - Salsabil Makky
- Center for Microbiology and Phage Therapy, Zewail City of Science and Technology, October Gardens, 6th of October City, Giza, 12578. Egypt
| | - Rana Nofal
- Center for Microbiology and Phage Therapy, Zewail City of Science and Technology, October Gardens, 6th of October City, Giza, 12578. Egypt
| | - Ramy K Aziz
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Qasr El-Ainy St, Cairo. Egypt
| | - Ayman El-Shibiny
- Center for Microbiology and Phage Therapy, Zewail City of Science and Technology, October Gardens, 6th of October City, Giza, 12578. Egypt
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Yu Z, Schwarz C, Zhu L, Chen L, Shen Y, Yu P. Hitchhiking Behavior in Bacteriophages Facilitates Phage Infection and Enhances Carrier Bacteria Colonization. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:2462-2472. [PMID: 33381966 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c06969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Interactions between bacteriophages (phages) and biofilms remain poorly understood despite the broad implications for microbial ecology, water quality, and microbiome engineering. Here, we demonstrate that lytic coliphage PHH01 can hitchhike on carrier bacteria Bacillus cereus to facilitate its infection of host bacteria, Escherichia coli, in biofilms. Specifically, PHH01 could adsorb onto the flagella of B. cereus, and thus phage motility was increased, resulting in 4.36-fold more effective infection of E. coli in biofilm relative to free PHH01 alone. Moreover, phage infection mitigated interspecies competition and enhanced B. cereus colonization; the fraction of B. cereus in the final biofilm increased from 9% without phages to 43% with phages. The mutualistic relationship between the coliphage and carrier bacteria was substantiated by migration tests on an E. coli lawn: the conjugation of PHH01 and B. cereus enhanced B. cereus colonization by 6.54-fold compared to B. cereus alone (6.15 vs 0.94 cm2 in 24 h) and PHH01 migration by 5.15-fold compared to PHH01 alone (10.3 vs 2.0 mm in 24 h). Metagenomic and electron microscopic analysis revealed that the phages of diverse taxonomies and different morphologies could be adsorbed by the flagella of B. cereus, suggesting hitchhiking on flagellated bacteria might be a widespread strategy in aquatic phage populations. Overall, our study highlights that hitchhiking behavior in phages can facilitate phage infection of biofilm bacteria, promote carrier bacteria colonization, and thus significantly influence biofilm composition, which holds promise for mediating biofilm functions and moderating associated risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuodong Yu
- School of Environment and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Cory Schwarz
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Liang Zhu
- School of Environment and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Linlin Chen
- School of Environment and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Yun Shen
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, United States
| | - Pingfeng Yu
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
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A Novel Group of Promiscuous Podophages Infecting Diverse Gammaproteobacteria from River Communities Exhibits Dynamic Intergenus Host Adaptation. mSystems 2021; 6:6/1/e00773-20. [PMID: 33531404 PMCID: PMC7857530 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00773-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Phages are generally described as species specific or even strain specific, implying an inherent limitation for some to be maintained and spread in diverse bacterial communities. Moreover, phage isolation and host range determination rarely consider the phage ecological context, likely biasing our notion on phage specificity. Here we isolated and characterized a novel group of six promiscuous phages, named Atoyac, existing in rivers and sewage by using a diverse collection of over 600 bacteria retrieved from the same environments as potential hosts. These podophages isolated from different regions in Mexico display a remarkably broad host range, infecting bacteria from six genera: Aeromonas, Pseudomonas, Yersinia, Hafnia, Escherichia, and Serratia Atoyac phage genomes are ∼42 kb long and highly similar to each other, but not to those currently available in genome and metagenome public databases. Detailed comparison of the phages' efficiency of plating (EOP) revealed variation among bacterial genera, implying a cost associated with infection of distant hosts, and between phages, despite their sequence similarity. We show, through experimental evolution in single or alternate hosts of different genera, that efficiency of plaque production is highly dynamic and tends toward optimization in hosts rendering low plaque formation. However, adaptation to distinct hosts differed between similar phages; whereas one phage optimized its EOP in all tested hosts, the other reduced plaque production in one host, suggesting that propagation in multiple bacteria may be key to maintain promiscuity in some viruses. Our study expands our knowledge of the virosphere and uncovers bacterium-phage interactions overlooked in natural systems.IMPORTANCE In natural environments, phages coexist and interact with a broad variety of bacteria, posing a conundrum for narrow-host-range phage maintenance in diverse communities. This context is rarely considered in the study of host-phage interactions, typically focused on narrow-host-range viruses and their infectivity in target bacteria isolated from sources distinct to where the phages were retrieved from. By studying phage-host interactions in bacteria and viruses isolated from river microbial communities, we show that novel phages with promiscuous host range encompassing multiple bacterial genera can be found in the environment. Assessment of hundreds of interactions in diverse hosts revealed that similar phages exhibit different infection efficiency and adaptation patterns. Understanding host range is fundamental in our knowledge of bacterium-phage interactions and their impact on microbial communities. The dynamic nature of phage promiscuity revealed in our study has implications in different aspects of phage research such as horizontal gene transfer or phage therapy.
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Ji M, Liu Z, Sun K, Li Z, Fan X, Li Q. Bacteriophages in water pollution control: Advantages and limitations. FRONTIERS OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & ENGINEERING 2021; 15:84. [PMID: 33294248 PMCID: PMC7716794 DOI: 10.1007/s11783-020-1378-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Revised: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater is a breeding ground for many pathogens, which may pose a threat to human health through various water transmission pathways. Therefore, a simple and effective method is urgently required to monitor and treat wastewater. As bacterial viruses, bacteriophages (phages) are the most widely distributed and abundant organisms in the biosphere. Owing to their capacity to specifically infect bacterial hosts, they have recently been used as novel tools in water pollution control. The purpose of this review is to summarize and evaluate the roles of phages in monitoring pathogens, tracking pollution sources, treating pathogenic bacteria, infecting bloom-forming cyanobacteria, and controlling bulking sludge and biofilm pollution in wastewater treatment systems. We also discuss the limitations of phage usage in water pollution control, including phage-mediated horizontal gene transfer, the evolution of bacterial resistance, and phage concentration decrease. This review provides an integrated outlook on the use of phages in water pollution control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengzhi Ji
- School of Biological Science and Technology, University of Jinan, Jinan, 250022 China
| | - Zichen Liu
- School of Biological Science and Technology, University of Jinan, Jinan, 250022 China
| | - Kaili Sun
- School of Biological Science and Technology, University of Jinan, Jinan, 250022 China
| | - Zhongfang Li
- College of Food and Bioengineering, Hezhou University, Hezhou, 542899 China
| | - Xiangyu Fan
- School of Biological Science and Technology, University of Jinan, Jinan, 250022 China
| | - Qiang Li
- School of Biological Science and Technology, University of Jinan, Jinan, 250022 China
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Nowakiewicz A, Zięba P, Gnat S, Matuszewski Ł. Last Call for Replacement of Antimicrobials in Animal Production: Modern Challenges, Opportunities, and Potential Solutions. Antibiotics (Basel) 2020; 9:antibiotics9120883. [PMID: 33317032 PMCID: PMC7762978 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics9120883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2020] [Revised: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The constant market demand for easily available and cheap food of animal origin necessitates an increasing use of antibiotics in animal production. The alarming data provided by organizations monitoring drug resistance in indicator and pathogenic bacteria isolated from humans and animals indicate a possible risk of a return to the preantibiotic era. For this reason, it seems that both preventive and therapeutic measures, taken as an alternative to antimicrobials, seem not only advisable but also necessary. Nevertheless, the results of various studies and market analyses, as well as difficulties in the implementation of alternative substances into veterinary medicine, do not guarantee that the selected alternatives will completely replace antimicrobials in veterinary medicine and animal production on a global scale. This publication is a brief overview of the drug resistance phenomenon and its determinants, the steps taken to solve the problem, including the introduction of alternatives to antimicrobials, and the evaluation of some factors influencing the potential implementation of alternatives in animal production. The review also presents two groups of alternatives, which, given their mechanism of action and spectrum, are most comparable to the effectiveness of antibiotics, as emphasized by the authors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aneta Nowakiewicz
- Sub-Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Institute of Preclinical Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Life Sciences, Akademicka 12, 20-033 Lublin, Poland;
- Correspondence: or
| | - Przemysław Zięba
- State Veterinary Laboratory, Droga Męczenników Majdanka 50, 20-325 Lublin, Poland;
| | - Sebastian Gnat
- Sub-Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Institute of Preclinical Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Life Sciences, Akademicka 12, 20-033 Lublin, Poland;
| | - Łukasz Matuszewski
- Department of Pediatric Orthopedics and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University, Gębali 6, 20-093 Lublin, Poland;
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Zhang B, Yu P, Wang Z, Alvarez PJJ. Hormetic Promotion of Biofilm Growth by Polyvalent Bacteriophages at Low Concentrations. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2020; 54:12358-12365. [PMID: 32886494 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c03558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Interactions between bacteriophages (phages) and biofilms are poorly understood despite their broad ecological and water quality implications. Here, we report that biofilm exposure to lytic polyvalent phages at low concentrations (i.e., 102-104 phages/mL) can counterintuitively promote biofilm growth and densification (corroborated by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM)). Such exposure hormetically upregulated quorum sensing genes (by 4.1- to 24.9-fold), polysaccharide production genes (by 3.7- to 9.3-fold), and curli synthesis genes (by 4.5- to 6.5-fold) in the biofilm-dwelling bacterial hosts (i.e., Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) relative to unexposed controls. Accordingly, the biofilm matrix increased its polysaccharide and extracellular DNA content relative to unexposed controls (by 41.8 ± 2.3 and 81.4 ± 2.2%, respectively), which decreased biofilm permeability and increased structural integrity. This contributed to enhanced resistance to disinfection with chlorine (bacteria half-lives were 6.08 ± 0.05 vs 3.91 ± 0.03 min for unexposed controls) and to subsequent phage infection (biomass removal was 18.2 ± 1.2 vs 32.3 ± 1.2% for unexposed controls), apparently by mitigating diffusion of these antibacterial agents through the biofilm. Overall, low concentrations of phages reaching a biofilm may result in unintended biofilm stimulation, which might accelerate biofouling, biocorrosion, or other biofilm-related water quality problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Zhang
- School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Pingfeng Yu
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, Houston 77005, United States
| | - Zijian Wang
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Pedro J J Alvarez
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, Houston 77005, United States
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Santiago AJ, Donlan RM. Bacteriophage Infections of Biofilms of Health Care-Associated Pathogens: Klebsiella pneumoniae. EcoSal Plus 2020; 9. [PMID: 33118486 DOI: 10.1128/ecosalplus.esp-0029-2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Members of the family Enterobacteriaceae, such as Klebsiella pneumoniae, are considered both serious and urgent public health threats. Biofilms formed by these health care-associated pathogens can lead to negative and costly health outcomes. The global spread of antibiotic resistance, coupled with increased tolerance to antimicrobial treatments in biofilm-associated bacteria, highlights the need for novel strategies to overcome treatment hurdles. Bacteriophages (phages), or viruses that infect bacteria, have reemerged as one such potential strategy. Virulent phages are capable of infecting and killing their bacterial hosts, in some cases producing depolymerases that are able to hydrolyze biofilms. Phage therapy does have its limitations, however, including potential narrow host ranges, development of bacterial resistance to infection, and the potential spread of phage-encoded virulence genes. That being said, advances in phage isolation, screening, and genome sequencing tools provide an upside in overcoming some of these limitations and open up the possibilities of using phages as effective biofilm control agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariel J Santiago
- Clinical and Environmental Microbiology Branch, Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Rodney M Donlan
- Clinical and Environmental Microbiology Branch, Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
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Challenges & opportunities for phage-based in situ microbiome engineering in the gut. J Control Release 2020; 326:106-119. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2020.06.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2020] [Revised: 06/14/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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Jebri S, Rahmani F, Hmaied F. Bacteriophages as antibiotic resistance genes carriers in agro-food systems. J Appl Microbiol 2020; 130:688-698. [PMID: 32916015 DOI: 10.1111/jam.14851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are a global health concern. Antibiotic resistance occurs naturally, but misuse of antibiotics in humans and animals is accelerating the process of antibiotic resistance emergency, which has been aggravated by exposure to molecules of antibiotics present in clinical and agricultural settings and the engagement of many countries in water reuse especially in Middle East and North Africa region. Bacteriophages have the potential to be significant actors in ARGs transmission through the transduction process. These viruses have been detected along with ARGs in non impacted habitats and in anthropogenic impacted environments like wastewater, reclaimed water and manure amended soil as well as minimally processed food and ready to eat vegetables. The ubiquity of bacteriophages and their persistence in the environment raises concern about their involvement in ARGs transmission among different biomes and the generation of pathogenic-resistant bacteria that pose a great threat to human health. The aim of this review is to give an overview of the potential role of bacteriophages in the dissemination and the transfer of ARGs to pathogens in food production and processing and the consequent contribution to antibiotic resistance transmission through faecal oral route carrying ARGs to our dishes.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Jebri
- Laboratoire de Biotechnologies et Technologie Nucléaire (LR16CNSTN01), Centre National des Sciences et Technologie Nucléaire, Sidi Thabet, Tunisia
| | - F Rahmani
- Laboratoire de Biotechnologies et Technologie Nucléaire (LR16CNSTN01), Centre National des Sciences et Technologie Nucléaire, Sidi Thabet, Tunisia
| | - F Hmaied
- Laboratoire de Biotechnologies et Technologie Nucléaire (LR16CNSTN01), Centre National des Sciences et Technologie Nucléaire, Sidi Thabet, Tunisia
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Garvey M. Bacteriophages and the One Health Approach to Combat Multidrug Resistance: Is This the Way? Antibiotics (Basel) 2020; 9:antibiotics9070414. [PMID: 32708627 PMCID: PMC7400126 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics9070414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Revised: 07/09/2020] [Accepted: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance necessitates action to reduce and eliminate infectious disease, ensure animal and human health, and combat emerging diseases. Species such as Acinetobacter baumanniii, vancomycin resistant Enterococcus, methicillin resistance Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, as well as other WHO priority pathogens, are becoming extremely difficult to treat. In 2017, the EU adopted the “One Health” approach to combat antibiotic resistance in animal and human medicine and to prevent the transmission of zoonotic disease. As the current therapeutic agents become increasingly inadequate, there is a dire need to establish novel methods of treatment under this One Health Framework. Bacteriophages (phages), viruses infecting bacterial species, demonstrate clear antimicrobial activity against an array of resistant species, with high levels of specificity and potency. Bacteriophages play key roles in bacterial evolution and are essential components of all ecosystems, including the human microbiome. Factors such are their specificity, potency, biocompatibility, and bactericidal activity make them desirable options as therapeutics. Issues remain, however, relating to their large-scale production, formulation, stability, and bacterial resistance, limiting their implementation globally. Phages used in therapy must be virulent, purified, and well characterized before administration. Clinical studies are warranted to assess the in vivo pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamic characteristics of phages to fully establish their therapeutic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Garvey
- Department of Life Science, Sligo Institute of Technology, Sligo, Ireland
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Yehl K, Lemire S, Yang AC, Ando H, Mimee M, Torres MDT, de la Fuente-Nunez C, Lu TK. Engineering Phage Host-Range and Suppressing Bacterial Resistance through Phage Tail Fiber Mutagenesis. Cell 2020; 179:459-469.e9. [PMID: 31585083 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2019.09.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 167] [Impact Index Per Article: 41.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2017] [Revised: 06/24/2019] [Accepted: 09/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The rapid emergence of antibiotic-resistant infections is prompting increased interest in phage-based antimicrobials. However, acquisition of resistance by bacteria is a major issue in the successful development of phage therapies. Through natural evolution and structural modeling, we identified host-range-determining regions (HRDRs) in the T3 phage tail fiber protein and developed a high-throughput strategy to genetically engineer these regions through site-directed mutagenesis. Inspired by antibody specificity engineering, this approach generates deep functional diversity while minimizing disruptions to the overall tail fiber structure, resulting in synthetic "phagebodies." We showed that mutating HRDRs yields phagebodies with altered host-ranges, and select phagebodies enable long-term suppression of bacterial growth in vitro, by preventing resistance appearance, and are functional in vivo using a murine model. We anticipate that this approach may facilitate the creation of next-generation antimicrobials that slow resistance development and could be extended to other viral scaffolds for a broad range of applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Yehl
- Synthetic Biology Group, MIT Synthetic Biology Center, The Center for Microbiome Informatics and Therapeutics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Research Laboratory of Electronics, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Sébastien Lemire
- Synthetic Biology Group, MIT Synthetic Biology Center, The Center for Microbiome Informatics and Therapeutics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Research Laboratory of Electronics, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Andrew C Yang
- Synthetic Biology Group, MIT Synthetic Biology Center, The Center for Microbiome Informatics and Therapeutics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Hiroki Ando
- Synthetic Biology Group, MIT Synthetic Biology Center, The Center for Microbiome Informatics and Therapeutics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Research Laboratory of Electronics, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Mark Mimee
- Synthetic Biology Group, MIT Synthetic Biology Center, The Center for Microbiome Informatics and Therapeutics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Research Laboratory of Electronics, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Marcelo Der Torossian Torres
- Synthetic Biology Group, MIT Synthetic Biology Center, The Center for Microbiome Informatics and Therapeutics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Research Laboratory of Electronics, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Cesar de la Fuente-Nunez
- Synthetic Biology Group, MIT Synthetic Biology Center, The Center for Microbiome Informatics and Therapeutics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Research Laboratory of Electronics, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Timothy K Lu
- Synthetic Biology Group, MIT Synthetic Biology Center, The Center for Microbiome Informatics and Therapeutics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Research Laboratory of Electronics, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Biological Engineering, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02129, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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Moon K, Jeon JH, Kang I, Park KS, Lee K, Cha CJ, Lee SH, Cho JC. Freshwater viral metagenome reveals novel and functional phage-borne antibiotic resistance genes. MICROBIOME 2020; 8:75. [PMID: 32482165 PMCID: PMC7265639 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-020-00863-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Antibiotic resistance developed by bacteria is a significant threat to global health. Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) spread across different bacterial populations through multiple dissemination routes, including horizontal gene transfer mediated by bacteriophages. ARGs carried by bacteriophages are considered especially threatening due to their prolonged persistence in the environment, fast replication rates, and ability to infect diverse bacterial hosts. Several studies employing qPCR and viral metagenomics have shown that viral fraction and viral sequence reads in clinical and environmental samples carry many ARGs. However, only a few ARGs have been found in viral contigs assembled from metagenome reads, with most of these genes lacking effective antibiotic resistance phenotypes. Owing to the wide application of viral metagenomics, nevertheless, different classes of ARGs are being continuously found in viral metagenomes acquired from diverse environments. As such, the presence and functionality of ARGs encoded by bacteriophages remain up for debate. RESULTS We evaluated ARGs excavated from viral contigs recovered from urban surface water viral metagenome data. In virome reads and contigs, diverse ARGs, including polymyxin resistance genes, multidrug efflux proteins, and β-lactamases, were identified. In particular, when a lenient threshold of e value of ≤ 1 × e-5 and query coverage of ≥ 60% were employed in the Resfams database, the novel β-lactamases blaHRV-1 and blaHRVM-1 were found. These genes had unique sequences, forming distinct clades of class A and subclass B3 β-lactamases, respectively. Minimum inhibitory concentration analyses for E. coli strains harboring blaHRV-1 and blaHRVM-1 and catalytic kinetics of purified HRV-1 and HRVM-1 showed reduced susceptibility to penicillin, narrow- and extended-spectrum cephalosporins, and carbapenems. These genes were also found in bacterial metagenomes, indicating that they were harbored by actively infecting phages. CONCLUSION Our results showed that viruses in the environment carry as-yet-unreported functional ARGs, albeit in small quantities. We thereby suggest that environmental bacteriophages could be reservoirs of widely variable, unknown ARGs that could be disseminated via virus-host interactions. Video abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kira Moon
- Department of Biological Sciences, Inha University, Incheon, 22212, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeong Ho Jeon
- National Leading Research Laboratory of Drug Resistance Proteomics, Department of Biological Sciences, Myongji University, 116 Myongjiro, Yongin, Gyeonggi-do, 17058, Republic of Korea
| | - Ilnam Kang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Inha University, Incheon, 22212, Republic of Korea
| | - Kwang Seung Park
- National Leading Research Laboratory of Drug Resistance Proteomics, Department of Biological Sciences, Myongji University, 116 Myongjiro, Yongin, Gyeonggi-do, 17058, Republic of Korea
| | - Kihyun Lee
- Department of Systems Biotechnology and Center for Antibiotic Resistome, Chung-Ang University, Anseong, Gyeonggi-do, 17546, Republic of Korea
| | - Chang-Jun Cha
- Department of Systems Biotechnology and Center for Antibiotic Resistome, Chung-Ang University, Anseong, Gyeonggi-do, 17546, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang Hee Lee
- National Leading Research Laboratory of Drug Resistance Proteomics, Department of Biological Sciences, Myongji University, 116 Myongjiro, Yongin, Gyeonggi-do, 17058, Republic of Korea.
| | - Jang-Cheon Cho
- Department of Biological Sciences, Inha University, Incheon, 22212, Republic of Korea.
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