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Amaya I, Edwards K, Wise BM, Bhattacharyya A, Pablo CHD, Mushrush E, Coats AN, Dao S, Dittmar G, Gore T, Jarva TM, Kenkebashvili G, Rathan-Kumar S, Reyes GM, Watts GL, Watts VK, Dubrow D, Lewis G, Stone BH, Xue B, Cresawn SG, Mavrodi D, Sivanathan V, Heller D. A genome-wide overexpression screen reveals Mycobacterium smegmatis growth inhibitors encoded by mycobacteriophage Hammy. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2023; 13:jkad240. [PMID: 37934806 PMCID: PMC10700055 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkad240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
During infection, bacteriophages produce diverse gene products to overcome bacterial antiphage defenses, to outcompete other phages, and to take over cellular processes. Even in the best-studied model phages, the roles of most phage-encoded gene products are unknown, and the phage population represents a largely untapped reservoir of novel gene functions. Considering the sheer size of this population, experimental screening methods are needed to sort through the enormous collection of available sequences and identify gene products that can modulate bacterial behavior for downstream functional characterization. Here, we describe the construction of a plasmid-based overexpression library of 94 genes encoded by Hammy, a Cluster K mycobacteriophage closely related to those infecting clinically important mycobacteria. The arrayed library was systematically screened in a plate-based cytotoxicity assay, identifying a diverse set of 24 gene products (representing ∼25% of the Hammy genome) capable of inhibiting growth of the host bacterium Mycobacterium smegmatis. Half of these are related to growth inhibitors previously identified in related phage Waterfoul, supporting their functional conservation; the other genes represent novel additions to the list of known antimycobacterial growth inhibitors. This work, conducted as part of the HHMI-supported Science Education Alliance Gene-function Exploration by a Network of Emerging Scientists (SEA-GENES) project, highlights the value of parallel, comprehensive overexpression screens in exploring genome-wide patterns of phage gene function and novel interactions between phages and their hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Amaya
- Center for the Advancement of Science Leadership and Culture, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20185, USA
| | - Kaylia Edwards
- Center for the Advancement of Science Leadership and Culture, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20185, USA
| | - Bethany M Wise
- Center for the Advancement of Science Leadership and Culture, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20185, USA
| | - Ankita Bhattacharyya
- School of Biological, Environmental, and Earth Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, USA
| | - Clint H D Pablo
- School of Biological, Environmental, and Earth Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, USA
| | - Ember Mushrush
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD 21250, USA
| | - Amber N Coats
- School of Biological, Environmental, and Earth Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, USA
| | - Sara Dao
- School of Biological, Environmental, and Earth Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, USA
| | - Grace Dittmar
- School of Biological, Environmental, and Earth Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, USA
| | - Taylor Gore
- School of Biological, Environmental, and Earth Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, USA
| | - Taiya M Jarva
- School of Biological, Environmental, and Earth Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, USA
| | - Giorgi Kenkebashvili
- School of Biological, Environmental, and Earth Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, USA
| | - Sudiksha Rathan-Kumar
- School of Biological, Environmental, and Earth Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, USA
| | - Gabriella M Reyes
- School of Biological, Environmental, and Earth Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, USA
| | - Garrett L Watts
- School of Biological, Environmental, and Earth Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, USA
| | - Victoria Kalene Watts
- School of Biological, Environmental, and Earth Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, USA
| | - Deena Dubrow
- Department of Biology, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA 22807, USA
| | - Gabrielle Lewis
- Department of Biology, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA 22807, USA
| | - Benjamin H Stone
- Department of Biology, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA 22807, USA
| | - Bingjie Xue
- Department of Biology, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA 22807, USA
| | - Steven G Cresawn
- Department of Biology, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA 22807, USA
| | - Dmitri Mavrodi
- School of Biological, Environmental, and Earth Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, USA
| | - Viknesh Sivanathan
- Center for the Advancement of Science Leadership and Culture, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20185, USA
| | - Danielle Heller
- Center for the Advancement of Science Leadership and Culture, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20185, USA
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Heller D, Amaya I, Mohamed A, Ali I, Mavrodi D, Deighan P, Sivanathan V. Systematic overexpression of genes encoded by mycobacteriophage Waterfoul reveals novel inhibitors of mycobacterial growth. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2022; 12:jkac140. [PMID: 35727726 PMCID: PMC9339283 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkac140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Bacteriophages represent an enormous reservoir of novel genes, many of which are unrelated to existing entries in public databases and cannot be assigned a predicted function. Characterization of these genes can provide important insights into the intricacies of phage-host interactions and may offer new strategies to manipulate bacterial growth and behavior. Overexpression is a useful tool in the study of gene-mediated effects, and we describe here the construction of a plasmid-based overexpression library of a complete set of genes for Waterfoul, a mycobacteriophage closely related to those infecting clinically important strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and/or Mycobacterium abscessus. The arrayed Waterfoul gene library was systematically screened in a plate-based cytotoxicity assay, identifying a diverse set of 32 Waterfoul gene products capable of inhibiting the growth of the host Mycobacterium smegmatis and providing a first look at the frequency and distribution of cytotoxic products encoded within a single mycobacteriophage genome. Several of these Waterfoul gene products were observed to confer potent anti-mycobacterial effects, making them interesting candidates for follow-up mechanistic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle Heller
- Department of Science Education, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20185, USA
| | - Isabel Amaya
- Department of Science Education, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20185, USA
| | - Aleem Mohamed
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD 21250, USA
| | - Ilzat Ali
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD 21250, USA
| | - Dmitri Mavrodi
- Center for Molecular & Cellular Biosciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, USA
| | - Padraig Deighan
- Department of Biology, Emmanuel College, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Viknesh Sivanathan
- Department of Science Education, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20185, USA
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Chen M, Xu J, Yao H, Lu C, Zhang W. Isolation, genome sequencing and functional analysis of two T7-like coliphages of avian pathogenic Escherichia coli. Gene 2016; 582:47-58. [PMID: 26828615 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2016.01.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2015] [Revised: 01/09/2016] [Accepted: 01/28/2016] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) causes colibacillosis, which results in significant economic losses to the poultry industry worldwide. Due to the drug residues and increased antibiotic resistance caused by antibiotic use, bacteriophages and other alternative therapeutic agents are expected to control APEC infection in poultry. Two APEC phages, named P483 and P694, were isolated from the feces from the farmers market in China. We then studied their biological properties, and carried out high-throughput genome sequencing and homology analyses of these phages. Assembly results of high-throughput sequencing showed that the structures of both P483 and P694 genomes consist of linear and double-stranded DNA. Results of the electron microscopy and homology analysis revealed that both P483 and P694 belong to T7-like virus which is a member of the Podoviridae family of the Caudovirales order. Comparative genomic analysis showed that most of the predicted proteins of these two phages showed strongest sequence similarity to the Enterobacteria phages BA14 and 285P, Erwinia phage FE44, and Kluyvera phage Kvp1; however, some proteins such as gp0.6a, gp1.7 and gp17 showed lower similarity (<85%) with the homologs of other phages in the T7 subgroup. We also found some unique characteristics of P483 and P694, such as the two types of the genes of P694 and no lytic activity of P694 against its host bacteria in liquid medium. Our results serve to further our understanding of phage evolution of T7-like coliphages and provide the potential application of the phages as therapeutic agents for the treatment of diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mianmian Chen
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Juntian Xu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Huochun Yao
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Chengping Lu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province, China.
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Abstract
I spent my childhood and adolescence in North and South Carolina, attended Duke University, and then entered Duke Medical School. One year in the laboratory of George Schwert in the biochemistry department kindled my interest in biochemistry. After one year of residency on the medical service of Duke Hospital, chaired by Eugene Stead, I joined the group of Arthur Kornberg at Stanford Medical School as a postdoctoral fellow. Two years later I accepted a faculty position at Harvard Medical School, where I remain today. During these 50 years, together with an outstanding group of students, postdoctoral fellows, and collaborators, I have pursued studies on DNA replication. I have experienced the excitement of discovering a number of important enzymes in DNA replication that, in turn, triggered an interest in the dynamics of a replisome. My associations with industry have been stimulating and fostered new friendships. I could not have chosen a better career.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles C Richardson
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115;
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