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Wang X, Li J, Pan X. How micro-/nano-plastics influence the horizontal transfer of antibiotic resistance genes - A review. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 944:173881. [PMID: 38871331 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173881] [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: 05/06/2024] [Revised: 05/29/2024] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024]
Abstract
Plastic debris such as microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPTs), along with antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), are pervasive in the environment and are recognized as significant global health and ecological concerns. Micro-/nano-plastics (MNPs) have been demonstrated to favor the spread of ARGs by enhancing the frequency of horizontal gene transfer (HGT) through various pathways. This paper comprehensively and systematically reviews the current study with focus on the influence of plastics on the HGT of ARGs. The critical role of MNPs in the HGT of ARGs has been well illustrated in sewage sludge, livestock farms, constructed wetlands and landfill leachate. A summary of the performed HGT assay and the underlying mechanism of plastic-mediated transfer of ARGs is presented in the paper. MNPs could facilitate or inhibit HGT of ARGs, and their effects depend on the type, size, and concentration. This review provides a comprehensive insight into the effects of MNPs on the HGT of ARGs, and offers suggestions for further study. Further research should attempt to develop a standard HGT assay and focus on investigating the impact of different plastics, including the oligomers they released, under real environmental conditions on the HGT of ARGs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaonan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology for Industrial Pollution Control of Zhejiang Province, College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China; Key Laboratory of Pollution Exposure and Health Intervention of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310015, China; School of Environment Science and Spatial Information, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China; Shaoxing Research Institute of Zhejiang University of Technology, Shaoxing 312000, China
| | - Jiahao Li
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology for Industrial Pollution Control of Zhejiang Province, College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
| | - Xiangliang Pan
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology for Industrial Pollution Control of Zhejiang Province, College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China.
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2
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Sbardellati DL, Vannette RL. Targeted viromes and total metagenomes capture distinct components of bee gut phage communities. MICROBIOME 2024; 12:155. [PMID: 39175056 PMCID: PMC11342477 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-024-01875-0] [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: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 08/24/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite being among the most abundant biological entities on earth, bacteriophage (phage) remain an understudied component of host-associated systems. One limitation to studying host-associated phage is the lack of consensus on methods for sampling phage communities. Here, we compare paired total metagenomes and viral size fraction metagenomes (viromes) as methods for investigating the dsDNA viral communities associated with the GI tract of two bee species: the European honey bee Apis mellifera and the eastern bumble bee Bombus impatiens. RESULTS We find that viromes successfully enriched for phage, thereby increasing phage recovery, but only in honey bees. In contrast, for bumble bees, total metagenomes recovered greater phage diversity. Across both bee species, viromes better sampled low occupancy phage, while total metagenomes were biased towards sampling temperate phage. Additionally, many of the phage captured by total metagenomes were absent altogether from viromes. Comparing between bees, we show that phage communities in commercially reared bumble bees are significantly reduced in diversity compared to honey bees, likely reflecting differences in bacterial titer and diversity. In a broader context, these results highlight the complementary nature of total metagenomes and targeted viromes, especially when applied to host-associated environments. CONCLUSIONS Overall, we suggest that studies interested in assessing total communities of host-associated phage should consider using both approaches. However, given the constraints of virome sampling, total metagenomes may serve to sample phage communities with the understanding that they will preferentially sample dominant and temperate phage. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rachel Lee Vannette
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
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3
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Berryhill BA, Burke KB, Fontaine J, Brink CE, Harvill MG, Goldberg DA, Konstantinidis KT, Levin BR, Woodworth MH. Enteric Populations of Escherichia coli are Likely to be Resistant to Phages Due to O Antigen Expression. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.11.08.566299. [PMID: 37986824 PMCID: PMC10659284 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.08.566299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
There is a surfeit of bioinformatic data showing that bacteriophages abound in the enteric microbiomes of humans. What is the contribution of these viruses in shaping the bacterial strain and species composition of the gut microbiome and how are these phages maintained over time? To address these questions, we performed experiments with Escherichia coli and phages isolated from four fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) doses as representative samples of non-dysbiotic enteric microbiota and develop and analyze the properties of a mathematical model of the population and evolutionary dynamics of bacteria and phage. Our models predict and experiments confirm that due to production of the O antigen, E. coli in the enteric microbiome are likely to be resistant to infection with co-occurring phages. Furthermore, our modeling suggests that the phages can be maintained in the population due to the high rates of host transition between resistant and sensitive states, which we call leaky resistance. Based on our observations and model predictions, we postulate that the phages found in the human gut are likely to play little role in shaping the composition of E. coli at the strain level in the enteric microbiome in healthy individuals. How general this is for other species of bacteria in the enteric flora is not yet clear, although O antigen expression is common across many taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon A. Berryhill
- Department of Biology, Emory University; Atlanta, Georgia, 30322, USA
- Program in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics (MMG), Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences (GDBBS), Laney Graduate School, Emory University; Atlanta, Georgia, 30322, USA
| | - Kylie B. Burke
- Department of Biology, Emory University; Atlanta, Georgia, 30322, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine; Atlanta, Georgia, 30322, USA
| | - Jake Fontaine
- Department of Biology, Emory University; Atlanta, Georgia, 30322, USA
| | - Catherine E. Brink
- Ocean Science & Engineering, School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
- School of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Mason G. Harvill
- Department of Biology, Emory University; Atlanta, Georgia, 30322, USA
| | - David A. Goldberg
- Department of Biology, Emory University; Atlanta, Georgia, 30322, USA
| | - Konstantinos T. Konstantinidis
- Ocean Science & Engineering, School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
- School of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Bruce R. Levin
- Department of Biology, Emory University; Atlanta, Georgia, 30322, USA
| | - Michael H. Woodworth
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine; Atlanta, Georgia, 30322, USA
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4
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Mäkelä K, Laanto E, Sundberg LR. Determinants in the phage life cycle: The dynamic nature of ssDNA phage FLiP and host interactions under varying environmental conditions and growth phases. Environ Microbiol 2024; 26:e16670. [PMID: 38952172 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024]
Abstract
The influence of environmental factors on the interactions between phages and bacteria, particularly single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) phages, has been largely unexplored. In this study, we used Finnlakevirus FLiP, the first known ssDNA phage species with a lipid membrane, as our model phage. We examined the infectivity of FLiP with three Flavobacterium host strains, B330, B167 and B114. We discovered that FLiP infection is contingent on the host strain and conditions such as temperature and bacterial growth phase. FLiP can infect its hosts across a wide temperature range, but optimal phage replication varies with each host. We uncovered some unique aspects of phage infectivity: FLiP has limited infectivity in liquid-suspended cells, but it improves when cells are surface-attached. Moreover, FLiP infects stationary phase B167 and B114 cells more rapidly and efficiently than exponentially growing cells, a pattern not observed with the B330 host. We also present the first experimental evidence of endolysin function in ssDNA phages. The activity of FLiP's lytic enzymes was found to be condition-dependent. Our findings underscore the importance of studying phage ecology in contexts that are relevant to the environment, as both the host and the surrounding conditions can significantly alter the outcome of phage-host interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kati Mäkelä
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science and Nanoscience Center, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Elina Laanto
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science and Nanoscience Center, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Lotta-Riina Sundberg
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science and Nanoscience Center, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
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5
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Reyneke B, Havenga B, Waso-Reyneke M, Khan S, Khan W. Benefits and Challenges of Applying Bacteriophage Biocontrol in the Consumer Water Cycle. Microorganisms 2024; 12:1163. [PMID: 38930545 PMCID: PMC11205630 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12061163] [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: 05/08/2024] [Revised: 05/31/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Bacteria (including disinfection- and antibiotic-resistant bacteria) are abundant in the consumer water cycle, where they may cause disease, and lead to biofouling and infrastructure damage in distributions systems, subsequently resulting in significant economic losses. Bacteriophages and their associated enzymes may then offer a biological control solution for application within the water sector. Lytic bacteriophages are of particular interest as biocontrol agents as their narrow host range can be exploited for the targeted removal of specific bacteria in a designated environment. Bacteriophages can also be used to improve processes such as wastewater treatment, while bacteriophage-derived enzymes can be applied to combat biofouling based on their effectiveness against preformed biofilms. However, the host range, environmental stability, bacteriophage resistance and biosafety risks are some of the factors that need to be considered prior to the large-scale application of these bacterial viruses. Characteristics of bacteriophages that highlight their potential as biocontrol agents are thus outlined in this review, as well as the potential application of bacteriophage biocontrol throughout the consumer water cycle. Additionally, the limitations of bacteriophage biocontrol and corresponding mitigation strategies are outlined, including the use of engineered bacteriophages for improved host ranges, environmental stability and the antimicrobial re-sensitisation of bacteria. Finally, the potential public and environmental risks associated with large-scale bacteriophage biocontrol application are considered, and alternative applications of bacteriophages to enhance the functioning of the consumer water cycle, including their use as water quality or treatment indicators and microbial source tracking markers, are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon Reyneke
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Stellenbosch 7602, South Africa
| | - Benjamin Havenga
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Stellenbosch 7602, South Africa
| | - Monique Waso-Reyneke
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Johannesburg, P.O. Box 17011, Doornfontein 2028, South Africa
| | - Sehaam Khan
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Johannesburg, P.O. Box 17011, Doornfontein 2028, South Africa
| | - Wesaal Khan
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Stellenbosch 7602, South Africa
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6
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Wang X, Tang Y, Yue X, Wang S, Yang K, Xu Y, Shen Q, Friman VP, Wei Z. The role of rhizosphere phages in soil health. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2024; 100:fiae052. [PMID: 38678007 PMCID: PMC11065364 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiae052] [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: 12/31/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024] Open
Abstract
While the One Health framework has emphasized the importance of soil microbiomes for plant and human health, one of the most diverse and abundant groups-bacterial viruses, i.e. phages-has been mostly neglected. This perspective reviews the significance of phages for plant health in rhizosphere and explores their ecological and evolutionary impacts on soil ecosystems. We first summarize our current understanding of the diversity and ecological roles of phages in soil microbiomes in terms of nutrient cycling, top-down density regulation, and pathogen suppression. We then consider how phages drive bacterial evolution in soils by promoting horizontal gene transfer, encoding auxiliary metabolic genes that increase host bacterial fitness, and selecting for phage-resistant mutants with altered ecology due to trade-offs with pathogen competitiveness and virulence. Finally, we consider challenges and avenues for phage research in soil ecosystems and how to elucidate the significance of phages for microbial ecology and evolution and soil ecosystem functioning in the future. We conclude that similar to bacteria, phages likely play important roles in connecting different One Health compartments, affecting microbiome diversity and functions in soils. From the applied perspective, phages could offer novel approaches to modulate and optimize microbial and microbe-plant interactions to enhance soil health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofang Wang
- Jiangsu provincial key lab for solid organic waste utilization, Key lab of organic-based fertilizers of China,Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Wastes, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Yike Tang
- Jiangsu provincial key lab for solid organic waste utilization, Key lab of organic-based fertilizers of China,Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Wastes, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Xiufeng Yue
- Jiangsu provincial key lab for solid organic waste utilization, Key lab of organic-based fertilizers of China,Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Wastes, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Shuo Wang
- Jiangsu provincial key lab for solid organic waste utilization, Key lab of organic-based fertilizers of China,Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Wastes, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Keming Yang
- Jiangsu provincial key lab for solid organic waste utilization, Key lab of organic-based fertilizers of China,Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Wastes, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Yangchun Xu
- Jiangsu provincial key lab for solid organic waste utilization, Key lab of organic-based fertilizers of China,Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Wastes, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Qirong Shen
- Jiangsu provincial key lab for solid organic waste utilization, Key lab of organic-based fertilizers of China,Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Wastes, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Ville-Petri Friman
- Jiangsu provincial key lab for solid organic waste utilization, Key lab of organic-based fertilizers of China,Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Wastes, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
- Department of Microbiology, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Zhong Wei
- Jiangsu provincial key lab for solid organic waste utilization, Key lab of organic-based fertilizers of China,Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Wastes, Educational Ministry Engineering Center of Resource-saving fertilizers, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
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7
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Zhang M, Zhou Y, Cui X, Zhu L. The Potential of Co-Evolution and Interactions of Gut Bacteria-Phages in Bamboo-Eating Pandas: Insights from Dietary Preference-Based Metagenomic Analysis. Microorganisms 2024; 12:713. [PMID: 38674657 PMCID: PMC11051890 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12040713] [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: 01/16/2024] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Bacteria and phages are two of the most abundant biological entities in the gut microbiome, and diet and host phylogeny are two of the most critical factors influencing the gut microbiome. A stable gut bacterial community plays a pivotal role in the host's physiological development and immune health. A phage is a virus that directly infects bacteria, and phages' close associations and interactions with bacteria are essential for maintaining the stability of the gut bacterial community and the entire microbial ecosystem. Here, we utilized 99 published metagenomic datasets from 38 mammalian species to investigate the relationship (diversity and composition) and potential interactions between gut bacterial and phage communities and the impact of diet and phylogeny on these communities. Our results highlight the co-evolutionary potential of bacterial-phage interactions within the mammalian gut. We observed a higher alpha diversity in gut bacteria than in phages and identified positive correlations between bacterial and phage compositions. Furthermore, our study revealed the significant influence of diet and phylogeny on mammalian gut bacterial and phage communities. We discovered that the impact of dietary factors on these communities was more pronounced than that of phylogenetic factors at the order level. In contrast, phylogenetic characteristics had a more substantial influence at the family level. The similar omnivorous dietary preference and closer phylogenetic relationship (family Ursidae) may contribute to the similarity of gut bacterial and phage communities between captive giant panda populations (GPCD and GPYA) and omnivorous animals (OC; including Sun bear, brown bear, and Asian black bear). This study employed co-occurrence microbial network analysis to reveal the potential interaction patterns between bacteria and phages. Compared to other mammalian groups (carnivores, herbivores, and omnivores), the gut bacterial and phage communities of bamboo-eating species (giant pandas and red pandas) exhibited a higher level of interaction. Additionally, keystone species and modular analysis showed the potential role of phages in driving and maintaining the interaction patterns between bacteria and phages in captive giant pandas. In sum, gaining a comprehensive understanding of the interaction between the gut microbiota and phages in mammals is of great significance, which is of great value in promoting healthy and sustainable mammals and may provide valuable insights into the conservation of wildlife populations, especially endangered animal species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Lifeng Zhu
- College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210098, China; (M.Z.); (Y.Z.); (X.C.)
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8
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Li Y, Huo Y, Liang L, Li D, Zhang Z, Yang H. Bacillus phage phi18-2 is a novel temperate virus with an unintegrated genome present in the cytoplasm of lysogenic cells as a linear phage-plasmid. Arch Virol 2024; 169:81. [PMID: 38519716 DOI: 10.1007/s00705-024-06014-6] [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: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
Bacillus subtilis is a Gram-positive bacterium that is widely used in fermentation and in the pharmaceutical industry. Phage contamination occasionally occurs in various fermentation processes and causes significant economic loss. Here, we report the isolation and characterization of a temperate B. subtilis phage, termed phi18-2, from spore powder manufactured in a fermentation plant. Transmission electron microscopy showed that phi18-2 has a symmetrical polyhedral head and a long noncontractile tail. Receptor analysis showed that phi18-2 recognizes wall teichoic acid (WTA) for infection. The phage virions have a linear double-stranded DNA genome of 64,467 bp with identical direct repeat sequences of 309 bp at each end of the genome. In lysogenic cells, the phage genome was found to be present in the cytoplasm without integration into the host cell chromosome, and possibly as a linear phage-plasmid with unmodified ends. Our data may provide some insight into the molecular basis of the unique lysogenic cycle of phage phi18-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yutong Li
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology of the Ministry of Education, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, 300457, China
| | - Yansheng Huo
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology of the Ministry of Education, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, 300457, China
| | - Li Liang
- Shandong Vland Biotech Co., Ltd., Shandong, 251700, China
| | - Donghang Li
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology of the Ministry of Education, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, 300457, China
| | - Zhiqiang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology of the Ministry of Education, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, 300457, China
| | - Hongjiang Yang
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology of the Ministry of Education, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, 300457, China.
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9
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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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10
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Samananda Singh L. Nano-emulsion encapsulation for the efficient delivery of bacteriophage therapeutics. Biologicals 2024; 85:101725. [PMID: 37951140 DOI: 10.1016/j.biologicals.2023.101725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance has become the major concern for global public health. Phage therapy is being considered as an alternative for antibiotics to treat the multidrug resistant bacterial infections. Bacteriophage therapeutic developments has faced many challenges, including the drug formulations for sustainable phage delivery. The nano-emulsion platform has been described as the best approach to retain phage efficacy, shelf life and stability. Encapsulated phage drugs ensure stable delivery of phages to the target site and integrate in the system. In this review, our main focus is on the nano-emulsion encapsulation of bacteriophages and its effects towards the phage therapeutic development.
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11
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Gong C, Chakraborty D, Koudelka GB. A prophage encoded ribosomal RNA methyltransferase regulates the virulence of Shiga-toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC). Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:856-871. [PMID: 38084890 PMCID: PMC10810198 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad1150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Shiga toxin (Stx) released by Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) causes life-threatening illness. Its production and release require induction of Stx-encoding prophage resident within the STEC genome. We identified two different STEC strains, PA2 and PA8, bearing Stx-encoding prophage whose sequences primarily differ by the position of an IS629 insertion element, yet differ in their abilities to kill eukaryotic cells and whose prophages differ in their spontaneous induction frequencies. The IS629 element in ϕPA2, disrupts an ORF predicted to encode a DNA adenine methyltransferase, whereas in ϕPA8, this element lies in an intergenic region. Introducing a plasmid expressing the methyltransferase gene product into ϕPA2 bearing-strains increases both the prophage spontaneous induction frequency and virulence to those exhibited by ϕPA8 bearing-strains. However, a plasmid bearing mutations predicted to disrupt the putative active site of the methyltransferase does not complement either of these defects. When complexed with a second protein, the methyltransferase holoenzyme preferentially uses 16S rRNA as a substrate. The second subunit is responsible for directing the preferential methylation of rRNA. Together these findings reveal a previously unrecognized role for rRNA methylation in regulating induction of Stx-encoding prophage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Gong
- Department of Biological Sciences University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA
| | | | - Gerald B Koudelka
- Department of Biological Sciences University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA
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12
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Liao YT, Ho KJ, Zhang Y, Salvador A, Wu VCH. A new Rogue-like Escherichia phage UDF157lw to control Escherichia coli O157:H7. Front Microbiol 2024; 14:1302032. [PMID: 38318127 PMCID: PMC10838988 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1302032] [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: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157:H7 is one of the notorious foodborne pathogens causing high mortality through the consumption of contaminated food items. The food safety risk from STEC pathogens could escalate when a group of bacterial cells aggregates to form a biofilm. Bacterial biofilm can diminish the effects of various antimicrobial interventions and enhance the pathogenicity of the pathogens. Therefore, there is an urgent need to have effective control measurements. Bacteriophages can kill the target bacterial cells through lytic infection, and some enzymes produced during the infection have the capability to penetrate the biofilm for mitigation compared to traditional interventions. This study aimed to characterize a new Escherichia phage vB_EcoS-UDF157lw (or UDF157lw) and determine its antimicrobial efficacy against E. coli O157:H7. Methods Phage characterization included biological approaches, including phage morphology, one-step growth curve, stability tests (pH and temperature), and genomic approaches (whole-genome sequencing). Later, antimicrobial activity tests, including productive infection against susceptible bacterial strains, in vitro antimicrobial activity, and anti-biofilm, were conducted. Results UDF157lw is a new member of the phages belonging to the Rogunavirus genus, comprising a long and non-contractile tail, isolated from bovine feces and shares close genomic evolutionary similarities with Escherichia phages vB_EcoS-BECP10 and bV_EcoS_AKS96. When used against E. coli O157:H7 (ATCC35150), phage UDF157lw exhibited a latent period of 14 min and a burst size of 110 PFU per infected cell. The phage remained viable in a wide range of pH values (pH 4-11) and temperatures (4-60°C). No virulence genes, such as stx, lysogenic genes, and antibiotic resistance genes, were found. Phage UDF157lw demonstrated high infection efficiencies against different E. coli O157:H7 and generic E. coli strains. In addition, UDF157lw encoded a unique major tail protein (ORF_26) with prominent depolymerase enzyme activity against various E. coli O157:H7 strains, causing large plaque sizes. In contrast to the phage without encoding depolymerase gene, UDF157lw was able to reduce the 24-h and 48-h E. coli O157:H7 biofilm after 1-h phage treatment. Discussion The findings of this study provide insights into a new member of the Rogunavirus phages and demonstrate its antimicrobial potential against E. coli O157:H7 in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Vivian C. H. Wu
- Produce Safety and Microbiology Research Unit, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Western Regional Research Center, Albany, CA, United States
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13
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Qiu J, Nie W, Ding H, Dai J, Wei Y, Li D, Zhang Y, Xie J, Tian X, Wu N, Qiu T. PB-LKS: a python package for predicting phage-bacteria interaction through local K-mer strategy. Brief Bioinform 2024; 25:bbae010. [PMID: 38344864 PMCID: PMC10859729 DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbae010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 12/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophages can help the treatment of bacterial infections yet require in-silico models to deal with the great genetic diversity between phages and bacteria. Despite the tolerable prediction performance, the application scope of current approaches is limited to the prediction at the species level, which cannot accurately predict the relationship of phages across strain mutants. This has hindered the development of phage therapeutics based on the prediction of phage-bacteria relationships. In this paper, we present, PB-LKS, to predict the phage-bacteria interaction based on local K-mer strategy with higher performance and wider applicability. The utility of PB-LKS is rigorously validated through (i) large-scale historical screening, (ii) case study at the class level and (iii) in vitro simulation of bacterial antiphage resistance at the strain mutant level. The PB-LKS approach could outperform the current state-of-the-art methods and illustrate potential clinical utility in pre-optimized phage therapy design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingxuan Qiu
- School of Health Science and Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200093, China
| | - Wanchun Nie
- School of Health Science and Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200093, China
| | - Hao Ding
- Institute of Clinical Science, Zhongshan Hospital, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Intelligent Medicine Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Jia Dai
- Shanghai Institute of Phage, Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, 201508, China
| | - Yiwen Wei
- School of Health Science and Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200093, China
| | - Dezhi Li
- School of Health Science and Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200093, China
| | - Yuxi Zhang
- School of Health Science and Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200093, China
| | - Junting Xie
- School of Health Science and Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200093, China
| | - Xinxin Tian
- School of Health Science and Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200093, China
| | - Nannan Wu
- Shanghai Institute of Phage, Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, 201508, China
| | - Tianyi Qiu
- Institute of Clinical Science, Zhongshan Hospital, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Intelligent Medicine Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
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14
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Schmalstig AA, Wiggins A, Badillo D, Wetzel KS, Hatfull GF, Braunstein M. Bacteriophage infection and killing of intracellular Mycobacterium abscessus. mBio 2024; 15:e0292423. [PMID: 38059609 PMCID: PMC10790704 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02924-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE As we rapidly approach a post-antibiotic era, bacteriophage (phage) therapy may offer a solution for treating drug-resistant bacteria. Mycobacterium abscessus is an emerging, multidrug-resistant pathogen that causes disease in people with cystic fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and other underlying lung diseases. M. abscessus can survive inside host cells, a niche that can limit access to antibiotics. As current treatment options for M. abscessus infections often fail, there is an urgent need for alternative therapies. Phage therapy is being used to treat M. abscessus infections as an option of last resort. However, little is known about the ability of phages to kill bacteria in the host environment and specifically in an intracellular environment. Here, we demonstrate the ability of phages to enter mammalian cells and to infect and kill intracellular M. abscessus. These findings support the use of phages to treat intracellular bacterial pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan A. Schmalstig
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, UNC School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Andrew Wiggins
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, UNC School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Debbie Badillo
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, UNC School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Katherine S. Wetzel
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Graham F. Hatfull
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Miriam Braunstein
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, UNC School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
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15
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Samson R, Dharne M, Khairnar K. Bacteriophages: Status quo and emerging trends toward one health approach. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 908:168461. [PMID: 37967634 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168461] [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: 08/21/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/17/2023]
Abstract
The alarming rise in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) among the drug-resistant pathogens has been attributed to the ESKAPEE group (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumanii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter sp., and Escherichia coli). Recently, these AMR microbes have become difficult to treat, as they have rendered the existing therapeutics ineffective. Thus, there is an urgent need for effective alternatives to lessen or eliminate the current infections and limit the spread of emerging diseases under the "One Health" framework. Bacteriophages (phages) are naturally occurring biological resources with extraordinary potential for biomedical, agriculture/food safety, environmental protection, and energy production. Specific unique properties of phages, such as their bactericidal activity, host specificity, potency, and biocompatibility, make them desirable candidates in therapeutics. The recent biotechnological advancement has broadened the repertoire of phage applications in nanoscience, material science, physical chemistry, and soft-matter research. Herein, we present a comprehensive review, coupling the substantial aspects of phages with their applicability status and emerging opportunities in several interdependent areas under one health concept. Consolidating the recent state-of-the-art studies that integrate human, animal, plant, and environment health, the following points have been highlighted: (i) The biomedical and pharmacological advantages of phages and their antimicrobial derivatives with particular emphasis on in-vivo and clinical studies. (ii) The remarkable potential of phages to be altered, improved, and applied for drug delivery, biosensors, biomedical imaging, tissue engineering, energy, and catalysis. (iii) Resurgence of phages in biocontrol of plant, food, and animal-borne pathogens. (iv) Commercialization of phage-based products, current challenges, and perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Samson
- National Collection of Industrial Microorganisms (NCIM), Biochemical Sciences Division, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory (NCL), Pune 411008, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh 201002, India
| | - Mahesh Dharne
- National Collection of Industrial Microorganisms (NCIM), Biochemical Sciences Division, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory (NCL), Pune 411008, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh 201002, India.
| | - Krishna Khairnar
- National Collection of Industrial Microorganisms (NCIM), Biochemical Sciences Division, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory (NCL), Pune 411008, India; Environmental Virology Cell (EVC), CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Nehru Marg, Nagpur 440020, India.
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16
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Rousset F. Innate immunity: the bacterial connection. Trends Immunol 2023; 44:945-953. [PMID: 37919213 DOI: 10.1016/j.it.2023.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Revised: 10/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
Pathogens have fueled the diversification of intracellular defense strategies that collectively define cell-autonomous innate immunity. In bacteria, innate immunity is manifested by a broad arsenal of defense systems that provide protection against bacterial viruses, called phages. The complexity of the bacterial immune repertoire has only been realized recently and is now suggesting that innate immunity has commonalities across the tree of life: many components of eukaryotic innate immunity are found in bacteria where they protect against phages, including the cGAS-STING pathway, gasdermins, and viperins. Here, I summarize recent findings on the conservation of innate immune pathways between prokaryotes and eukaryotes and hypothesize that bacterial defense mechanisms can catalyze the discovery of novel molecular players of eukaryotic innate immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- François Rousset
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
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17
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Zhang Y, Kitazumi A, Liao YT, de Los Reyes BG, Wu VCH. Metagenomic investigation reveals bacteriophage-mediated horizontal transfer of antibiotic resistance genes in microbial communities of an organic agricultural ecosystem. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0022623. [PMID: 37754684 PMCID: PMC10581182 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00226-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Antibiotic resistance has become a serious health concern worldwide. The potential impact of viruses, bacteriophages in particular, on spreading antibiotic resistance genes is still controversial due to the complexity of bacteriophage-bacterial interactions within diverse environments. In this study, we determined the microbiome profiles and the potential antibiotic resistance gene (ARG) transfer between bacterial and viral populations in different agricultural samples using a high-resolution analysis of the metagenomes. The results of this study provide compelling genetic evidence for ARG transfer through bacteriophage-bacteria interactions, revealing the inherent risks associated with bacteriophage-mediated ARG transfer across the agricultural microbiome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yujie Zhang
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Produce Safety and Microbiology Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, Western Regional Research Center , Albany, California, USA
| | - Ai Kitazumi
- Department of Plant and Soil Science, Texas Tech University , Lubbock, Texas, USA
| | - Yen-Te Liao
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Produce Safety and Microbiology Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, Western Regional Research Center , Albany, California, USA
| | | | - Vivian C H Wu
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Produce Safety and Microbiology Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, Western Regional Research Center , Albany, California, USA
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18
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Bulannga RB, Schmidt S. Two Predators, One Prey - the Interaction Between Bacteriophage, Bacterivorous Ciliates, and Escherichia coli. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2023; 86:1620-1631. [PMID: 36723682 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-022-02163-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Bacterivorous ciliates and lytic bacteriophages are two major predators in aquatic environments, competing for the same type of prey. This study investigated the possible interaction of these different microorganisms and their influence on the activity of each other. Therefore, two bacterivorous ciliates, Paramecium sp. RB1 and Tetrahymena sp. RB2, were used as representative ciliates; a T4-like Escherichia coli targeting lytic bacteriophage as a model virus; and E. coli ATCC 25922 as a susceptible bacterial host and prey. The growth of the two ciliates with E. coli ATCC 25922 as prey was affected by the presence of phage particles. The grazing activity of the two ciliates resulted in more than a 99% reduction of the phage titer and bacterial cell numbers. However, viable phage particles were recovered from individual washed cells of the two ciliates after membrane filtration. Therefore, ciliates such as Paramecium sp. RB1 and Tetrahymena sp. RB2 can remove bacteriophages present in natural and artificial waters by ingesting the viral particles and eliminating bacterial host cells required for viral replication. The ingestion of phage particles may marginally contribute to the nutrient supply of the ciliates. However, the interaction of phage particles with ciliate cells may contribute to the transmission of bacteriophages in aquatic environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rendani Bridghette Bulannga
- Discipline of Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Pietermaritzburg, 3209, South Africa
| | - Stefan Schmidt
- Discipline of Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Pietermaritzburg, 3209, South Africa.
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19
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Kelly A, Went SC, Mariano G, Shaw LP, Picton DM, Duffner SJ, Coates I, Herdman-Grant R, Gordeeva J, Drobiazko A, Isaev A, Lee YJ, Luyten Y, Morgan RD, Weigele P, Severinov K, Wenner N, Hinton JCD, Blower TR. Diverse Durham collection phages demonstrate complex BREX defense responses. Appl Environ Microbiol 2023; 89:e0062323. [PMID: 37668405 PMCID: PMC10537673 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00623-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophages (phages) outnumber bacteria ten-to-one and cause infections at a rate of 1025 per second. The ability of phages to reduce bacterial populations makes them attractive alternative antibacterials for use in combating the rise in antimicrobial resistance. This effort may be hindered due to bacterial defenses such as Bacteriophage Exclusion (BREX) that have arisen from the constant evolutionary battle between bacteria and phages. For phages to be widely accepted as therapeutics in Western medicine, more must be understood about bacteria-phage interactions and the outcomes of bacterial phage defense. Here, we present the annotated genomes of 12 novel bacteriophage species isolated from water sources in Durham, UK, during undergraduate practical classes. The collection includes diverse species from across known phylogenetic groups. Comparative analyses of two novel phages from the collection suggest they may be founding members of a new genus. Using this Durham phage collection, we determined that particular BREX defense systems were likely to confer a varied degree of resistance against an invading phage. We concluded that the number of BREX target motifs encoded in the phage genome was not proportional to the degree of susceptibility. IMPORTANCE Bacteriophages have long been the source of tools for biotechnology that are in everyday use in molecular biology research laboratories worldwide. Phages make attractive new targets for the development of novel antimicrobials. While the number of phage genome depositions has increased in recent years, the expected bacteriophage diversity remains underrepresented. Here we demonstrate how undergraduates can contribute to the identification of novel phages and that a single City in England can provide ample phage diversity and the opportunity to find novel technologies. Moreover, we demonstrate that the interactions and intricacies of the interplay between bacterial phage defense systems such as Bacteriophage Exclusion (BREX) and phages are more complex than originally thought. Further work will be required in the field before the dynamic interactions between phages and bacterial defense systems are fully understood and integrated with novel phage therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail Kelly
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham, UK
| | - Sam C. Went
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham, UK
| | - Giuseppina Mariano
- Microbes in Health and Disease Theme, Newcastle University Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Liam P. Shaw
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham, UK
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | | | - Isabel Coates
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham, UK
| | | | - Julia Gordeeva
- Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Alena Drobiazko
- Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Artem Isaev
- Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Yan-Jiun Lee
- New England Biolabs, Ipswich, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Nicolas Wenner
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Jay C. D. Hinton
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Tim R. Blower
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham, UK
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20
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Anthony MA, Bender SF, van der Heijden MGA. Enumerating soil biodiversity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2304663120. [PMID: 37549278 PMCID: PMC10437432 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2304663120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Soil is an immense habitat for diverse organisms across the tree of life, but just how many organisms live in soil is surprisingly unknown. Previous efforts to enumerate soil biodiversity consider only certain types of organisms (e.g., animals) or report values for diverse groups without partitioning species that live in soil versus other habitats. Here, we reviewed the biodiversity literature to show that soil is likely home to 59 ± 15% of the species on Earth. We therefore estimate an approximately two times greater soil biodiversity than previous estimates, and we include representatives from the simplest (microbial) to most complex (mammals) organisms. Enchytraeidae have the greatest percentage of species in soil (98.6%), followed by fungi (90%), Plantae (85.5%), and Isoptera (84.2%). Our results demonstrate that soil is the most biodiverse singular habitat. By using this estimate of soil biodiversity, we can more accurately and quantitatively advocate for soil organismal conservation and restoration as a central goal of the Anthropocene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark A. Anthony
- Plant-Soil Interactions Unit, Research Division Agroecology and Environment, Agroscope, Zürich8046, Switzerland
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research, Forest Dynamics Research Unit, Birmensdorf8903, Switzerland
| | - S. Franz Bender
- Plant-Soil Interactions Unit, Research Division Agroecology and Environment, Agroscope, Zürich8046, Switzerland
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zürich, Zürich8008, Switzerland
| | - Marcel G. A. van der Heijden
- Plant-Soil Interactions Unit, Research Division Agroecology and Environment, Agroscope, Zürich8046, Switzerland
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Zürich, Zürich8008, Switzerland
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21
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Chan DK, Dykema K, Fatima M, Harvey H, Qaderi I, Burrows LL. Nutrient Limitation Sensitizes Pseudomonas aeruginosa to Vancomycin. ACS Infect Dis 2023; 9:1408-1423. [PMID: 37279282 PMCID: PMC10353551 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.3c00167] [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: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Traditional antibacterial screens rely on growing bacteria in nutrient-replete conditions which are not representative of the natural environment or sites of infection. Instead, screening in more physiologically relevant conditions may reveal novel activity for existing antibiotics. Here, we screened a panel of antibiotics reported to lack activity against the opportunistic Gram-negative bacterium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, under low-nutrient and low-iron conditions, and discovered that the glycopeptide vancomycin inhibited the growth of P. aeruginosa at low micromolar concentrations through its canonical mechanism of action, disruption of peptidoglycan crosslinking. Spontaneous vancomycin-resistant mutants underwent activating mutations in the sensor kinase of the two-component CpxSR system, which induced cross-resistance to almost all classes of β-lactams, including the siderophore antibiotic cefiderocol. Other mutations that conferred vancomycin resistance mapped to WapR, an α-1,3-rhamnosyltransferase involved in lipopolysaccharide core biosynthesis. A WapR P164T mutant had a modified LPS profile compared to wild type that was accompanied by increased susceptibility to select bacteriophages. We conclude that screening in nutrient-limited conditions can reveal novel activity for existing antibiotics and lead to discovery of new and impactful resistance mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derek
C. K. Chan
- David Braley Center for Antibiotic
Discovery, Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research,
Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Katherine Dykema
- David Braley Center for Antibiotic
Discovery, Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research,
Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Mahrukh Fatima
- David Braley Center for Antibiotic
Discovery, Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research,
Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Hanjeong Harvey
- David Braley Center for Antibiotic
Discovery, Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research,
Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Ikram Qaderi
- David Braley Center for Antibiotic
Discovery, Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research,
Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Lori L. Burrows
- David Braley Center for Antibiotic
Discovery, Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research,
Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada
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22
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Alexyuk P, Bogoyavlenskiy A, Alexyuk M, Akanova K, Moldakhanov Y, Berezin V. Isolation and Characterization of Jumbo Coliphage vB_EcoM_Lh1B as a Promising Therapeutic Agent against Chicken Colibacillosis. Microorganisms 2023; 11:1524. [PMID: 37375026 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11061524] [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: 05/14/2023] [Revised: 06/04/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Colibacillosis in chickens can cause the death of young stock, decrease weight gain and lead to significant economic losses. Currently, antibiotic therapy is the main method of treatment of infected animals, but unchecked use of antibiotics has led to widespread antibiotic resistance among microorganisms. Therefore, it is necessary to develop alternative methods of treating bacterial infections that are fully consistent with the One Health concept and introduce them into practice. Phage therapy meets the specified requirements perfectly. This study describes the isolation and characterization of the lytic jumbo phage vB_EcoM_Lh1B and evaluates its potential use in controlling antibiotic-resistant E. coli infection in poultry. The complete phage genome is 240,200 bp long. Open reading frame (ORF) prediction shows that the phage genome does not contain genes encoding antibiotic resistance and lysogeny factors. Based on phylogenetic and electron microscopic analysis, vB_EcoM_Lh1B belongs to the group of myoviruses of the Seoulvirus genus of the Caudoviricetes class. The bacteriophage has good resistance to a wide range of pH and temperatures and has the ability to suppress 19 out of 30 studied pathogenic E. coli strains. The biological and lytic properties of the isolated vB_EcoM_Lh1B phage make it a promising target of further study as a therapeutic agent against E. coli infections in poultry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pavel Alexyuk
- Laboratory of Antiviral Protection, Department of Virology, Research and Production Center for Microbiology and Virology, Bogenbai Batyr Street 105, Almaty 050010, Kazakhstan
| | - Andrey Bogoyavlenskiy
- Laboratory of Antiviral Protection, Department of Virology, Research and Production Center for Microbiology and Virology, Bogenbai Batyr Street 105, Almaty 050010, Kazakhstan
| | - Madina Alexyuk
- Laboratory of Antiviral Protection, Department of Virology, Research and Production Center for Microbiology and Virology, Bogenbai Batyr Street 105, Almaty 050010, Kazakhstan
| | - Kuralay Akanova
- Laboratory of Antiviral Protection, Department of Virology, Research and Production Center for Microbiology and Virology, Bogenbai Batyr Street 105, Almaty 050010, Kazakhstan
| | - Yergali Moldakhanov
- Laboratory of Antiviral Protection, Department of Virology, Research and Production Center for Microbiology and Virology, Bogenbai Batyr Street 105, Almaty 050010, Kazakhstan
| | - Vladimir Berezin
- Laboratory of Antiviral Protection, Department of Virology, Research and Production Center for Microbiology and Virology, Bogenbai Batyr Street 105, Almaty 050010, Kazakhstan
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23
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Pradal I, Casado A, del Rio B, Rodriguez-Lucas C, Fernandez M, Alvarez MA, Ladero V. Enterococcus faecium Bacteriophage vB_EfaH_163, a New Member of the Herelleviridae Family, Reduces the Mortality Associated with an E. faecium vanR Clinical Isolate in a Galleria mellonella Animal Model. Viruses 2023; 15:179. [PMID: 36680219 PMCID: PMC9860891 DOI: 10.3390/v15010179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The rise of antimicrobial resistant (AMR) bacteria is a major health concern, especially with regard to members of the ESKAPE group, to which vancomycin-resistant (VRE) Enterococcus faecium belongs. Phage therapy has emerged as a novel alternative for the treatment of AMR infections. This, however, relies on the isolation and characterisation of a large collection of phages. This work describes the exploration of human faeces as a source of new E. faecium-infecting phages. Phage vB_EfaH_163 was isolated and characterised at the microbiological, genomic, and functional levels. vB_EfaH_163 phage, a new member of Herelleviridae, subfamily Brockvirinae, has a dsDNA genome of 150,836 bp that does not harbour any virulence factors or antibiotic resistance genes. It infects a wide range of E. faecium strains of different origins, including VRE strains. Interestingly, it can also infect Enterococcus faecalis strains, even some that are linezolid-resistant. Its capacity to control the growth of a clinical VRE isolate was shown in broth culture and in a Galleria mellonella animal model. The discovery and characterisation of vB_EfaH_163 increases the number of phages that might be used therapeutically against AMR bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inés Pradal
- Department of Technology and Biotechnology of Dairy Products, Dairy Research Institute, IPLA-CSIC, 33300 Villaviciosa, Spain
| | - Angel Casado
- Department of Technology and Biotechnology of Dairy Products, Dairy Research Institute, IPLA-CSIC, 33300 Villaviciosa, Spain
| | - Beatriz del Rio
- Department of Technology and Biotechnology of Dairy Products, Dairy Research Institute, IPLA-CSIC, 33300 Villaviciosa, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), 33011 Oviedo, Spain
| | - Carlos Rodriguez-Lucas
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), 33011 Oviedo, Spain
- Microbiology Laboratory, Hospital el Bierzo, 24404 Ponferrada, Spain
- Microbiology Laboratory, Hospital Universitario de Cabueñes, 33394 Gijón, Spain
| | - Maria Fernandez
- Department of Technology and Biotechnology of Dairy Products, Dairy Research Institute, IPLA-CSIC, 33300 Villaviciosa, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), 33011 Oviedo, Spain
| | - Miguel A. Alvarez
- Department of Technology and Biotechnology of Dairy Products, Dairy Research Institute, IPLA-CSIC, 33300 Villaviciosa, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), 33011 Oviedo, Spain
| | - Victor Ladero
- Department of Technology and Biotechnology of Dairy Products, Dairy Research Institute, IPLA-CSIC, 33300 Villaviciosa, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), 33011 Oviedo, Spain
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Luo J, Dai D, Lv L, Ahmed T, Chen L, Wang Y, An Q, Sun G, Li B. Advancements in the Use of Bacteriophages to Combat the Kiwifruit Canker Phytopathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae. Viruses 2022; 14:2704. [PMID: 36560706 PMCID: PMC9785728 DOI: 10.3390/v14122704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2022] [Revised: 11/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the last several decades, kiwifruit production has been severely damaged by the bacterial plant pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae (Psa), resulting in severe economic losses worldwide. Currently, copper bactericides and antibiotics are the main tools used to control this bacterial disease. However, their use is becoming increasingly ineffective due to the emergence of antibiotic resistance. In addition, environmental issues and the changes in the composition of soil bacterial communities are also concerning when using these substances. Although biocontrol methods have shown promising antibacterial effects on Psa infection under in vitro conditions, the efficiency of antagonistic bacteria and fungi when deployed under field conditions remains unclear. Therefore, it is crucial to develop a phage-based biocontrol strategy for this bacterial pathogen. Due to the specificity of the target bacteria and for the benefit of the environment, bacteriophages (phages) have been widely regarded as promising biological agents to control plant, animal, and human bacterial diseases. An increasing number of studies focus on the use of phages for the control of plant diseases, including the kiwifruit bacterial canker. In this review, we first introduce the characteristics of the Psa-induced kiwifruit canker, followed by a description of the diversity and virulence of Psa strains. The main focus of the review is the description of recent advances in the isolation of Psa phages and their characterization, including morphology, host range, lytic activity, genome characterization, and lysis mechanism, but we also describe the biocontrol strategies together with potential challenges introduced by abiotic factors, such as high temperature, extreme pH, and UV irradiation in kiwifruit orchards. The information presented in this review highlights the potential role of phages in controlling Psa infection to ensure plant protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinyan Luo
- Department of Plant Quarantine, Shanghai Extension and Service Center of Agriculture Technology, Shanghai 201103, China
| | - Dejiang Dai
- Station for the Plant Protection & Quarantine and Control of Agrochemicals Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310004, China
| | - Luqiong Lv
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Temoor Ahmed
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Lei Chen
- Department of Plant Quarantine, Shanghai Extension and Service Center of Agriculture Technology, Shanghai 201103, China
| | - Yanli Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China
| | - Qianli An
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Guochang Sun
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China
| | - Bin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Rice Biology, Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
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25
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Pelyuntha W, Yafa A, Ngasaman R, Yingkajorn M, Chukiatsiri K, Champoochana N, Vongkamjan K. Oral Administration of a Phage Cocktail to Reduce Salmonella Colonization in Broiler Gastrointestinal Tract-A Pilot Study. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12223087. [PMID: 36428315 PMCID: PMC9686501 DOI: 10.3390/ani12223087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Revised: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Salmonella contamination in poultry meat products can lead to serious foodborne illness and economic loss from product recalls. It is crucial to control Salmonella contamination in poultry from farm to fork. Bacteriophages (phages) are viruses of bacteria that offer several advantages, especially their specificity to target bacteria. In our study, three Salmonella phages (vB_SenS_KP001, vB_SenS_KP005, and vB_SenS_WP110) recovered from a broiler farm and wastewater treatment stations showed high lysis ability ranging from 85.7 to 96.4% on over 56 serovars of Salmonella derived from several sources, including livestock and a broiler farm environment. A three-phage cocktail reduced S. Enteritidis and S. Typhimurium, in vitro by 3.9 ± 0.0 and 3.9 ± 0.2 log units at a multiplicity of infection (MOI) of 103 and 3.8 ± 0.4 and 4.1 ± 0.2 log units at MOI of 104 after 6 h post-phage treatment. A developed phage cocktail did not cause phage resistance in Salmonella during phage treatments for three passages. Phages could survive under simulated chicken gastrointestinal conditions in the presence of gastric acid for 2 h (100.0 ± 0.0% survivability), bile salt for 1 h (98.1 ± 1.0% survivability), and intestinal fluid for 4 h (100 ± 0.0% survivability). Each phage was in the phage cocktail at a concentration of up to 9.0 log PFU/mL. These did not cause any cytotoxicity to human fibroblast cells or Caco-2 cells as indicated by the percent of cell viability, which remained nearly 100% as compared with the control during 72 h of co-culture. The phage cocktail was given to broilers raised in commercial conditions at a 9 log PFU/dose for five doses, while naturally occurring Salmonella cells colonized in the gastrointestinal tract of broilers were significantly reduced as suggested by a considerably lower Salmonella prevalence from over 70 to 0% prevalence after four days of phage treatment. Our findings suggest that a phage cocktail is an effective biocontrol agent to reduce Salmonella present in the guts of broilers, which can be applied to improve food safety in broiler production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wattana Pelyuntha
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Agro-Industry, Kasetsart Univerisity, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
| | - Ananya Yafa
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Agro-Industry, Kasetsart Univerisity, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
| | - Ruttayaporn Ngasaman
- Faculty of Veterinary Science, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai 90110, Thailand
| | - Mingkwan Yingkajorn
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai 90110, Thailand
| | - Kridda Chukiatsiri
- Faculty of Animal Sciences and Technology, Maejo University, Nongharn, Sansai, Chiang Mai 50290, Thailand
| | - Nidanut Champoochana
- Division of Health and Applied Sciences, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai 90110, Thailand
| | - Kitiya Vongkamjan
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Agro-Industry, Kasetsart Univerisity, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
- Correspondence: or
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Igler C. Phenotypic flux: The role of physiology in explaining the conundrum of bacterial persistence amid phage attack. Virus Evol 2022; 8:veac086. [PMID: 36225237 PMCID: PMC9547521 DOI: 10.1093/ve/veac086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Revised: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophages, the viruses of bacteria, have been studied for over a century. They were not only instrumental in laying the foundations of molecular biology, but they are also likely to play crucial roles in shaping our biosphere and may offer a solution to the control of drug-resistant bacterial infections. However, it remains challenging to predict the conditions for bacterial eradication by phage predation, sometimes even under well-defined laboratory conditions, and, most curiously, if the majority of surviving cells are genetically phage-susceptible. Here, I propose that even clonal phage and bacterial populations are generally in a state of continuous 'phenotypic flux', which is caused by transient and nongenetic variation in phage and bacterial physiology. Phenotypic flux can shape phage infection dynamics by reducing the force of infection to an extent that allows for coexistence between phages and susceptible bacteria. Understanding the mechanisms and impact of phenotypic flux may be key to providing a complete picture of phage-bacteria coexistence. I review the empirical evidence for phenotypic variation in phage and bacterial physiology together with the ways they have been modeled and discuss the potential implications of phenotypic flux for ecological and evolutionary dynamics between phages and bacteria, as well as for phage therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Igler
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich, Institute of Integrative Biology, Universitätstrasse 16, Zurich 8092, Switzerland
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27
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Liu Z, Ding X, Haider MS, Ali F, Yu H, Chen X, Tan S, Zu Y, Liu W, Ding B, Zheng A, Zheng J, Qian Z, Ashfaq H, Yu D, Li K. A metagenomic insight into the Yangtze finless porpoise virome. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:922623. [PMID: 36118360 PMCID: PMC9478467 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.922623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The Yangtze finless porpoise (Neophocaena phocaenoides asiaeorientalis) inhabiting the Yantze River, China is critically endangered because of the influences of infectious disease, human activity, and water contamination. Viral diseases are one of the crucial factors that threatening the health of Yangtze finless porpoise. However, there are few studies which elaborate the viral diversity of Yangtze finless. Therefore, this study was performed to investigate the viral diversity of Yangtze finless by metagenomics. Results indicated that a total of 12,686,252 high-quality valid sequences were acquired and 2,172 virus reads were recognized. Additionally, we also obtained a total of 10,600 contigs. Phages was the most abundant virus in the samples and the ratio of DNA and RNA viruses were 69.75 and 30.25%, respectively. Arenaviridae, Ackermannviridae and Siphoviridae were the three most predominant families in all the samples. Moreover, the majority of viral genus were Mammarenavirus, Limestonevirus and Lambdavirus. The results of gene prediction indicated that these viruses play vital roles in biological process, cellular component, molecular function, and disease. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the viral diversity of Yangtze finless porpoise, which filled the gaps in its viral information. Meanwhile, this study can also provide a theoretical basis for the establishment of the prevention and protection system for virus disease of Yangtze finless porpoise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhigang Liu
- College of Life Science, Anqing Normal University, Anqing, China
- Research Center of Aquatic Organism Conservation and Water Ecosystem Restoration in Anhui Province, Anqing Normal University, Anqing, China
- Zhigang Liu
| | - Xin Ding
- College of Life Science, Anqing Normal University, Anqing, China
| | | | - Farah Ali
- Department of Theriogenology, Faculty of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, Pakistan
| | - Han Yu
- College of Life Science, Anqing Normal University, Anqing, China
| | - Xin Chen
- College of Life Science, Anqing Normal University, Anqing, China
| | - Shuaishuai Tan
- College of Life Science, Anqing Normal University, Anqing, China
| | - Yuan Zu
- College of Life Science, Anqing Normal University, Anqing, China
| | - Wenlong Liu
- College of Life Science, Anqing Normal University, Anqing, China
| | - Bangzhi Ding
- College of Life Science, Anqing Normal University, Anqing, China
| | - Aifang Zheng
- College of Life Science, Anqing Normal University, Anqing, China
| | - Jinsong Zheng
- Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhengyi Qian
- Hubei Yangtze River Ecological Protection Foundation, Wuhan, China
| | - Hassan Ashfaq
- Institute of Continuing Education and Extension, University of Veterinary Animal Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Daoping Yu
- College of Life Science, Anqing Normal University, Anqing, China
- Research Center of Aquatic Organism Conservation and Water Ecosystem Restoration in Anhui Province, Anqing Normal University, Anqing, China
| | - Kun Li
- Institute of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
- MOE Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
- *Correspondence: Kun Li
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28
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To Die or Not to Die—Regulated Cell Death and Survival in Cyanobacteria. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10081657. [PMID: 36014075 PMCID: PMC9415839 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10081657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 08/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Regulated cell death (RCD) is central to the development, integrity, and functionality of multicellular organisms. In the last decade, evidence has accumulated that RCD is a universal phenomenon in all life domains. Cyanobacteria are of specific interest due to their importance in aquatic and terrestrial habitats and their role as primary producers in global nutrient cycling. Current knowledge on cyanobacterial RCD is based mainly on biochemical and morphological observations, often by methods directly transferred from vertebrate research and with limited understanding of the molecular genetic basis. However, the metabolism of different cyanobacteria groups relies on photosynthesis and nitrogen fixation, whereas mitochondria are the central executioner of cell death in vertebrates. Moreover, cyanobacteria chosen as biological models in RCD studies are mainly colonial or filamentous multicellular organisms. On the other hand, unicellular cyanobacteria have regulated programs of cellular survival (RCS) such as chlorosis and post-chlorosis resuscitation. The co-existence of different genetically regulated programs in cyanobacterial populations may have been a top engine in life diversification. Development of cyanobacteria-specific methods for identification and characterization of RCD and wider use of single-cell analysis combined with intelligent image-based cell sorting and metagenomics would shed more light on the underlying molecular mechanisms and help us to address the complex colonial interactions during these events. In this review, we focus on the functional implications of RCD in cyanobacterial communities.
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Abstract
Urinary tract infection (UTI) is among the most common infections treated worldwide each year and is caused primarily by uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC). Rising rates of antibiotic resistance among uropathogens have spurred a consideration of alternative treatment strategies, such as bacteriophage (phage) therapy; however, phage-bacterial interactions within the urinary environment are poorly defined. Here, we assess the activity of two phages, namely, HP3 and ES17, against clinical UPEC isolates using in vitro and in vivo models of UTI. In both bacteriologic medium and pooled human urine, we identified phage resistance arising within the first 6 to 8 h of coincubation. Whole-genome sequencing revealed that UPEC strains resistant to HP3 and ES17 harbored mutations in genes involved in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) biosynthesis. Phage-resistant strains displayed several in vitro phenotypes, including alterations to adherence to and invasion of human bladder epithelial HTB-9 cells and increased biofilm formation in some isolates. Interestingly, these phage-resistant UPEC isolates demonstrated reduced growth in pooled human urine, which could be partially rescued by nutrient supplementation and were more sensitive to several outer membrane-targeting antibiotics than parental strains. Additionally, phage-resistant UPEC isolates were attenuated in bladder colonization in a murine UTI model. In total, our findings suggest that while resistance to phages, such as HP3 and ES17, may arise readily in the urinary environment, phage resistance is accompanied by fitness costs which may render UPEC more susceptible to host immunity or antibiotics. IMPORTANCE UTI is one of the most common causes of outpatient antibiotic use, and rising antibiotic resistance threatens the ability to control UTI unless alternative treatments are developed. Bacteriophage (phage) therapy is gaining renewed interest; however, much like with antibiotics, bacteria can readily become resistant to phages. For successful UTI treatment, we must predict how bacteria will evade killing by phage and identify the downstream consequences of phage resistance during bacterial infection. In our current study, we found that while phage-resistant bacteria quickly emerged in vitro, these bacteria were less capable of growing in human urine and colonizing the murine bladder. These results suggest that phage therapy poses a viable UTI treatment if phage resistance confers fitness costs for the uropathogen. These results have implications for developing cocktails of phage with multiple different bacterial targets, of which each is evaded only at the cost of bacterial fitness.
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Muthami JM, Fernández-García L, Tomás M, Wood TK. What is the fate of the biofilm matrix? Environ Microbiol 2022; 24:4495-4499. [PMID: 35912827 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2022] [Accepted: 06/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Joy M Muthami
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Laura Fernández-García
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA.,Microbiology Translational and Multidisciplinary (MicroTM)-Research Institute Biomedical A Coruña (INIBIC) and Microbiology Department of Hospital A Coruña (CHUAC), University of A Coruña (UDC), A Coruña, Spain
| | - María Tomás
- Microbiology Translational and Multidisciplinary (MicroTM)-Research Institute Biomedical A Coruña (INIBIC) and Microbiology Department of Hospital A Coruña (CHUAC), University of A Coruña (UDC), A Coruña, Spain
| | - Thomas K Wood
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
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Resistance of Dickeya solani strain IPO 2222 to lytic bacteriophage ΦD5 results in fitness tradeoffs for the bacterium during infection. Sci Rep 2022; 12:10725. [PMID: 35750797 PMCID: PMC9232599 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-14956-7] [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: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Resistance to bacteriophage infections protects bacteria in phage-replete environments, enabling them to survive and multiply in the presence of their viral predators. However, such resistance may confer costs for strains, reducing their ecological fitness as expressed as competitiveness for resources or virulence or both. There is limited knowledge about such costs paid by phage-resistant plant pathogenic bacteria in their natural habitats. This study analyzed the costs of phage resistance paid by the phytopathogenic pectinolytic bacterium Dickeya solani both in vitro and in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) plants. Thirteen Tn5 mutants of D. solani IPO 2222 were identified that exhibited resistance to infection by lytic bacteriophage vB_Dsol_D5 (ΦD5). The genes disrupted in these mutants encoded proteins involved in the synthesis of bacterial envelope components (viz. LPS, EPS and capsule). Although phage resistance did not affect most of the phenotypes of ΦD5-resistant D. solani such as growth rate, production of effectors, swimming and swarming motility, use of various carbon and nitrogen sources and biofilm formation evaluated in vitro, all phage resistant mutants were significantly compromised in their ability to survive on leaf surfaces as well as to grow within and cause disease symptoms in potato plants.
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32
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Nutrient Availability and Phage Exposure Alter the Quorum-Sensing and CRISPR-Cas-Controlled Population Dynamics of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. mSystems 2022; 7:e0009222. [PMID: 35699339 PMCID: PMC9426516 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00092-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Quorum sensing (QS) coordinates bacterial communication and cooperation essential for virulence and dominance in polymicrobial settings. QS also regulates the CRISPR-Cas system for targeted defense against parasitic genomes from phages and horizontal gene transfer. Although the QS and CRISPR-Cas systems are vital for bacterial survival, they undergo frequent selection in response to biotic and abiotic factors. Using the opportunistic Pseudomonas aeruginosa with well-established QS and CRISPR-Cas systems, we show how the social interactions between the acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL)-QS signal-blind mutants (ΔlasRrhlR) and the CRISPR-Cas mutants are affected by phage exposure and nutrient availability. We demonstrate that media conditions and phage exposure alter the resistance and relative fitness of ΔlasRrhlR and CRISPR-Cas mutants while tipping the fitness advantage in favor of the QS signal-blind mutants under nutrient-limiting conditions. We also show that the AHL signal-blind mutants are less selected by phages under QS-inducing conditions than the CRISPR-Cas mutants, whereas the mixed population of the CRISPR-Cas and AHL signal-blind mutants reduce phage infectivity, which can improve survival during phage exposure. Our data reveal that phage exposure and nutrient availability reshape the population dynamics between the ΔlasRrhlR QS mutants and CRISPR-Cas mutants, with key indications for cooperation and conflict between the strains. IMPORTANCE The increase in antimicrobial resistance has created the need for alternative interventions such as phage therapy. However, as previously observed with antimicrobial resistance, phage therapy will not be effective if bacteria evolve resistance and persist in the presence of the phages. The QS is commonly known as an arsenal for bacteria communication, virulence, and regulation of the phage defense mechanism, the CRISPR-Cas system. The QS and CRISPR-Cas systems are widespread in bacteria. However, they are known to evolve rapidly under the influence of biotic and abiotic factors in the bacterial environment, resulting in alteration in bacterial genotypes, which enhance phage resistance and fitness. We believe that adequate knowledge of the influence of environmental factors on the bacterial community lifestyle and phage defense mechanisms driven by the QS and CRISPR-Cas system is necessary for developing effective phage therapy.
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Negi C, Vasistha NK, Singh D, Vyas P, Dhaliwal HS. Application of CRISPR-Mediated Gene Editing for Crop Improvement. Mol Biotechnol 2022; 64:1198-1217. [PMID: 35672603 DOI: 10.1007/s12033-022-00507-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Plant gene editing has become an important molecular tool to revolutionize modern breeding of crops. Over the past years, remarkable advancement has been made in developing robust and efficient editing methods for plants. Despite a variety of available genome editing methods, the discovery of most recent system of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats-CRISPR-associated proteins (CRISPR-Cas) has been one of the biggest advancement in this path, with being the most efficient approach for genome manipulation. Until recently, genetic manipulations were confined to methods, like Agrobacterium-mediated transformations, zinc-finger nucleases, and TAL effector nucleases. However this technology supersedes all other methods for genetic modification. This RNA-guided CRISPR-Cas system is being rapidly developed with enhanced functionalities for better use and greater possibilities in biological research. In this review, we discuss and sum up the application of this simple yet powerful tool of CRISPR-Cas system for crop improvement with recent advancement in this technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chandranandani Negi
- Department of Genetics-Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, Dr. Khem Singh Gill Akal College of Agriculture, Eternal University, Baru Sahib, Himachal Pradesh, 173101, India
| | - Neeraj Kumar Vasistha
- Department of Genetics-Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, Dr. Khem Singh Gill Akal College of Agriculture, Eternal University, Baru Sahib, Himachal Pradesh, 173101, India
| | | | - Pritesh Vyas
- Department of Genetics-Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, Dr. Khem Singh Gill Akal College of Agriculture, Eternal University, Baru Sahib, Himachal Pradesh, 173101, India.
| | - H S Dhaliwal
- Department of Genetics-Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, Dr. Khem Singh Gill Akal College of Agriculture, Eternal University, Baru Sahib, Himachal Pradesh, 173101, India
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Reduced bacterial mortality and enhanced viral productivity during sinking in the ocean. THE ISME JOURNAL 2022; 16:1668-1675. [PMID: 35365738 PMCID: PMC9123201 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-022-01224-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Revised: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Particle sinking is an important process in the ocean, influencing the biogeochemical cycle and driving the long-term preservation of carbon into the deep sea via the biological pump. However, as an important component of marine ecosystems, the role of viruses during sinking is still poorly understood. Therefore, we performed a series of transplantation experiments in the South China Sea to simulate environmental changes during sinking and investigate their effects on viral eco-dynamics and life strategy. Our study demonstrated increased viral production but decreased virus-mediated bacterial mortality after transplantation. A larger burst size and switch from the lysogenic to lytic strategy were shown to contribute to enhanced viral productivity. We provide experimental evidence that surface viral ecological characteristics changed dramatically after transplantation into deep-sea waters, indicating a potential importance of viruses during vertical sinking in the ocean. This effect probably provides positive feedback on the efficiency of the biological pump.
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Alonzo LF, Hinkley TC, Miller A, Calderon R, Garing S, Williford J, Clute-Reinig N, Spencer E, Friend M, Madan D, Dinh VTT, Bell D, Weigl BH, Nugen SR, Nichols KP, Le Ny ALM. A microfluidic device and instrument prototypes for the detection of Escherichia coli in water samples using a phage-based bioluminescence assay. LAB ON A CHIP 2022; 22:2155-2164. [PMID: 35521688 DOI: 10.1039/d1lc00888a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Current quantification methods of Escherichia coli (E. coli) contamination in water samples involve long incubation, laboratory equipment and facilities, or complex processes that require specialized training for accurate operation and interpretation. To address these limitations, we have developed a microfluidic device and portable instrument prototypes capable of performing a rapid and highly sensitive bacteriophage-based assay to detect E. coli cells with detection limit comparable to traditional methods in a fraction of the time. The microfluidic device combines membrane filtration and selective enrichment using T7-NanoLuc-CBM, a genetically engineered bacteriophage, to identify 4.1 E. coli CFU in 100 mL of drinking water within 5.5 hours. The microfluidic device was designed and tested to process up to 100 mL of real-world drinking water samples with turbidities below 10 NTU. Prototypes of custom instrumentation, compatible with our valveless microfluidic device and capable of performing all of the assay's units of operation with minimal user intervention, demonstrated similar assay performance to that obtained on the benchtop assay. This research is the first step towards a faster, portable, and semi-automated, phage-based microfluidic platform for improved in-field water quality monitoring in low-resource settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis F Alonzo
- Intellectual Ventures Laboratory, 14360 SE Eastgate Way, Bellevue, WA 98007, USA
| | - Troy C Hinkley
- Intellectual Ventures Laboratory, 14360 SE Eastgate Way, Bellevue, WA 98007, USA
| | - Andrew Miller
- Intellectual Ventures Laboratory, 14360 SE Eastgate Way, Bellevue, WA 98007, USA
| | - Ryan Calderon
- Intellectual Ventures Laboratory, 14360 SE Eastgate Way, Bellevue, WA 98007, USA
| | - Spencer Garing
- Intellectual Ventures Laboratory, 14360 SE Eastgate Way, Bellevue, WA 98007, USA
| | - John Williford
- Intellectual Ventures Laboratory, 14360 SE Eastgate Way, Bellevue, WA 98007, USA
| | - Nick Clute-Reinig
- Intellectual Ventures Laboratory, 14360 SE Eastgate Way, Bellevue, WA 98007, USA
| | - Ethan Spencer
- Intellectual Ventures Laboratory, 14360 SE Eastgate Way, Bellevue, WA 98007, USA
| | - Michael Friend
- Intellectual Ventures Laboratory, 14360 SE Eastgate Way, Bellevue, WA 98007, USA
| | - Damian Madan
- Intellectual Ventures Laboratory, 14360 SE Eastgate Way, Bellevue, WA 98007, USA
| | - Van T T Dinh
- Intellectual Ventures Laboratory, 14360 SE Eastgate Way, Bellevue, WA 98007, USA
| | - David Bell
- Independent Consultant, Issaquah, WA 98027, USA
| | - Bernhard H Weigl
- Intellectual Ventures Laboratory, 14360 SE Eastgate Way, Bellevue, WA 98007, USA
| | - Sam R Nugen
- Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Kevin P Nichols
- Intellectual Ventures Laboratory, 14360 SE Eastgate Way, Bellevue, WA 98007, USA
| | - Anne-Laure M Le Ny
- Intellectual Ventures Laboratory, 14360 SE Eastgate Way, Bellevue, WA 98007, USA
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Shang J, Sun Y. CHERRY: a Computational metHod for accuratE pRediction of virus-pRokarYotic interactions using a graph encoder-decoder model. Brief Bioinform 2022; 23:6589865. [PMID: 35595715 PMCID: PMC9487644 DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbac182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2022] [Revised: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Prokaryotic viruses, which infect bacteria and archaea, are key players in microbial communities. Predicting the hosts of prokaryotic viruses helps decipher the dynamic relationship between microbes. Experimental methods for host prediction cannot keep pace with the fast accumulation of sequenced phages. Thus, there is a need for computational host prediction. Despite some promising results, computational host prediction remains a challenge because of the limited known interactions and the sheer amount of sequenced phages by high-throughput sequencing technologies. The state-of-the-art methods can only achieve 43% accuracy at the species level. In this work, we formulate host prediction as link prediction in a knowledge graph that integrates multiple protein and DNA-based sequence features. Our implementation named CHERRY can be applied to predict hosts for newly discovered viruses and to identify viruses infecting targeted bacteria. We demonstrated the utility of CHERRY for both applications and compared its performance with 11 popular host prediction methods. To our best knowledge, CHERRY has the highest accuracy in identifying virus–prokaryote interactions. It outperforms all the existing methods at the species level with an accuracy increase of 37%. In addition, CHERRY’s performance on short contigs is more stable than other tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiayu Shang
- Department of Electrical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China SAR
| | - Yanni Sun
- Department of Electrical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China SAR
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37
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Calcuttawala F, Shaw R, Sarbajna A, Dutta M, Sinha S, K. Das Gupta S. Apoptosis like symptoms associated with abortive infection of Mycobacterium smegmatis by mycobacteriophage D29. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0259480. [PMID: 35580120 PMCID: PMC9113562 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0259480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Mycobacteriophages are phages that infect mycobacteria resulting in their killing. Although lysis is the primary mechanism by which mycobacteriophages cause cell death, others such as abortive infection may also be involved. We took recourse to perform immunofluorescence and electron microscopic studies using mycobacteriophage D29 infected Mycobacterium smegmatis cells to investigate this issue. We could observe the intricate details of the infection process using these techniques such as adsorption, the phage tail penetrating the thick mycolic acid layer, formation of membrane pores, membrane blebbing, and phage release. We observed a significant increase in DNA fragmentation and membrane depolarization using cell-biological techniques symptomatic of programmed cell death (PCD). As Toxin-Antitoxin (TA) systems mediate bacterial PCD, we measured their expression profiles with and without phage infection. Of the three TAs examined, MazEF, VapBC, and phd/doc, we found that in the case of VapBC, a significant decrease in the antitoxin (VapB): toxin (VapC) ratio was observed following phage infection, implying that high VapC may have a role to play in the induction of mycobacterial apoptotic cell death following phage infection. This study indicates that D29 infection causes mycobacteria to undergo morphological and molecular changes that are hallmarks of apoptotic cell death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatema Calcuttawala
- Department of Microbiology, Sister Nivedita University, Kolkata, India
- * E-mail:
| | - Rahul Shaw
- Department of Microbiology, Bose Institute, Kolkata, India
| | - Arpita Sarbajna
- Division of Electron Microscopy, National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases, Kolkata, India
| | - Moumita Dutta
- Division of Electron Microscopy, National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases, Kolkata, India
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Picton DM, Harling-Lee JD, Duffner SJ, Went SC, Morgan RD, Hinton JCD, Blower TR. A widespread family of WYL-domain transcriptional regulators co-localizes with diverse phage defence systems and islands. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:5191-5207. [PMID: 35544231 PMCID: PMC9122601 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteria are under constant assault by bacteriophages and other mobile genetic elements. As a result, bacteria have evolved a multitude of systems that protect from attack. Genes encoding bacterial defence mechanisms can be clustered into 'defence islands', providing a potentially synergistic level of protection against a wider range of assailants. However, there is a comparative paucity of information on how expression of these defence systems is controlled. Here, we functionally characterize a transcriptional regulator, BrxR, encoded within a recently described phage defence island from a multidrug resistant plasmid of the emerging pathogen Escherichia fergusonii. Using a combination of reporters and electrophoretic mobility shift assays, we discovered that BrxR acts as a repressor. We present the structure of BrxR to 2.15 Å, the first structure of this family of transcription factors, and pinpoint a likely binding site for ligands within the WYL-domain. Bioinformatic analyses demonstrated that BrxR-family homologues are widespread amongst bacteria. About half (48%) of identified BrxR homologues were co-localized with a diverse array of known phage defence systems, either alone or clustered into defence islands. BrxR is a novel regulator that reveals a common mechanism for controlling the expression of the bacterial phage defence arsenal.
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Affiliation(s)
- David M Picton
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Stockton Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Joshua D Harling-Lee
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Stockton Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK.,The Roslin Institute, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Edinburgh EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Samuel J Duffner
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Stockton Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Sam C Went
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Stockton Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
| | | | - Jay C D Hinton
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Tim R Blower
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Stockton Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
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Ali A, Jørgensen JS, Lamont RF. The contribution of bacteriophages to the aetiology and treatment of the bacterial vaginosis syndrome. Fac Rev 2022; 11:8. [PMID: 35509673 PMCID: PMC9022730 DOI: 10.12703/r/11-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophages are obligate intracellular viruses that parasitize bacteria, making use of the host biosynthetic machinery. Bacterial vaginosis (BV) causes serious adverse sequelae, such as sexually transmitted infections, seroconversion to HIV positivity, and preterm birth. The aetiology of BV is multifactorial, and the vaginal microbiota, the response to antibiotics, and the phenotypic outcomes differ between cases. The choice of antibiotics to treat BV depends on the clinician’s personal experience, which contributes to the poor outcome of BV treatment and high recurrence rate. In this review, we classify BV into two subtypes based on whether or not the BV case is sexually associated (potentially phage-related). An appropriate antibiotic can be selected on the basis of this BV-typing to optimise the short- and long-term effects of treatment. Not all Lactobacillus spp. are helpful or protective and some may sequestrate metronidazole, which mitigates its therapeutic efficacy. Phages, used therapeutically, could contribute to eubiosis by sparing beneficial species of Lactobacilli. However, Lactobacilli have an important role in maintaining vaginal eubiosis, so conventional wisdom has been that treatment of BV may benefit from metronidazole that conserves lactobacilli rather than clindamycin, which destroys lactobacilli. Furthermore, if the quality and quantity of vaginal lactobacilli are compromised by phage colonisation, as in the sexually transmitted subtype, eradication of lactobacilli with clindamycin followed by replacement by probiotics may be better therapeutically than metronidazole and reduce recurrence rates. Accordingly, the subtype of BV may provide a more scientific approach to antibiotic selection, which is absent in current clinical guidelines. We provide support for the role of bacteriophages in the aetiology, recurrence or failure to cure BV following treatment, through parasitic colonisation of lactobacilli that may be sexually transmitted and may be enhanced by other risk factors like smoking, a factor associated with BV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amaan Ali
- St Bartholomew’s and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, London, UK
| | - Jan Stener Jørgensen
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University of Southern Denmark, Institute of Clinical Research, Research Unit of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Odense, Denmark
| | - Ronald F Lamont
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University of Southern Denmark, Institute of Clinical Research, Research Unit of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Odense, Denmark
- Division of Surgery, University College London, Northwick Park Institute for Medical Research Campus, London, UK
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40
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Vázquez R, Díez-Martínez R, Domingo-Calap P, García P, Gutiérrez D, Muniesa M, Ruiz-Ruigómez M, Sanjuán R, Tomás M, Tormo-Mas MÁ, García P. Essential Topics for the Regulatory Consideration of Phages as Clinically Valuable Therapeutic Agents: A Perspective from Spain. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10040717. [PMID: 35456768 PMCID: PMC9025261 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10040717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Revised: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance is one of the major challenges that humankind shall face in the short term. (Bacterio)phage therapy is a valuable therapeutic alternative to antibiotics and, although the concept is almost as old as the discovery of phages, its wide application was hindered in the West by the discovery and development of antibiotics in the mid-twentieth century. However, research on phage therapy is currently experiencing a renaissance due to the antimicrobial resistance problem. Some countries are already adopting new ad hoc regulations to favor the short-term implantation of phage therapy in clinical practice. In this regard, the Phage Therapy Work Group from FAGOMA (Spanish Network of Bacteriophages and Transducing Elements) recently contacted the Spanish Drugs and Medical Devices Agency (AEMPS) to promote the regulation of phage therapy in Spain. As a result, FAGOMA was asked to provide a general view on key issues regarding phage therapy legislation. This review comes as the culmination of the FAGOMA initiative and aims at appropriately informing the regulatory debate on phage therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Vázquez
- Department of Biotechnology, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium;
| | | | - Pilar Domingo-Calap
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology, University of Valencia-CSIC, 46980 Paterna, Spain; (P.D.-C.); (R.S.)
| | - Pedro García
- Center for Biological Research Margarita Salas (CIB-CSIC) and Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES), 28040 Madrid, Spain;
| | - Diana Gutiérrez
- Telum Therapeutics SL, 31110 Noáin, Spain; (R.D.-M.); (D.G.)
| | - Maite Muniesa
- Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain;
| | - María Ruiz-Ruigómez
- Internal Medicine, Infectious Diseases Unit, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, 28041 Madrid, Spain;
| | - Rafael Sanjuán
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology, University of Valencia-CSIC, 46980 Paterna, Spain; (P.D.-C.); (R.S.)
| | - María Tomás
- Department of Microbiology, Hospital Universitario de A Coruña (INIBIC-CHUAC, SERGAS), 15006 A Coruña, Spain;
- Study Group on Mechanisms of Action and Resistance to Antimicrobials (GEMARA) on behalf of the Spanish Society of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology (SEIMC), 28003 Madrid, Spain
- Spanish Network for Research in Infectious Diseases (REIPI), 41071 Sevilla, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - María Ángeles Tormo-Mas
- Severe Infection Group, Hospital Universitari i Politècnic La Fe, Health Research Institute Hospital La Fe, IISLaFe, 46026 Valencia, Spain;
| | - Pilar García
- Dairy Research Institute of Asturias, IPLA-CSIC, 33300 Villaviciosa, Spain
- DairySafe Group, Health Research Institute of Asturias (ISPA), 33011 Oviedo, Spain
- Correspondence:
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41
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Pelyuntha W, Vongkamjan K. Combined effects of Salmonella phage cocktail and organic acid for controlling Salmonella Enteritidis in chicken meat. Food Control 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.foodcont.2021.108653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
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42
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Poluri KM, Czajkowski R. Editorial: Bacteriophages Isolation From the Environment and Their Antimicrobial Therapeutic Potential, Volume 2. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:847176. [PMID: 35154064 PMCID: PMC8826046 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.847176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Krishna Mohan Poluri
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering and Centre for Nanotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee, India
| | - Robert Czajkowski
- Laboratory of Biologically Active Compounds, Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Gdansk and Medical University of Gdansk, University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland
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Carascal MB, dela Cruz-Papa DM, Remenyi R, Cruz MCB, Destura RV. Phage Revolution Against Multidrug-Resistant Clinical Pathogens in Southeast Asia. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:820572. [PMID: 35154059 PMCID: PMC8830912 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.820572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Southeast Asia (SEA) can be considered a hotspot of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) worldwide. As recent surveillance efforts in the region reported the emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens, the pursuit of therapeutic alternatives against AMR becomes a matter of utmost importance. Phage therapy, or the use of bacterial viruses called bacteriophages to kill bacterial pathogens, is among the standout therapeutic prospects. This narrative review highlights the current understanding of phages and strategies for a phage revolution in SEA. We define phage revolution as the radical use of phage therapy in infectious disease treatment against MDR infections, considering the scientific and regulatory standpoints of the region. We present a three-phase strategy to encourage a phage revolution in the SEA clinical setting, which involves: (1) enhancing phage discovery and characterization efforts, (2) creating and implementing laboratory protocols and clinical guidelines for the evaluation of phage activity, and (3) adapting regulatory standards for therapeutic phage formulations. We hope that this review will open avenues for scientific and policy-based discussions on phage therapy in SEA and eventually lead the way to its fullest potential in countering the threat of MDR pathogens in the region and worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark B. Carascal
- Clinical and Translational Research Institute, The Medical City, Pasig, Philippines
- Institute of Biology, College of Science, University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines
| | - Donna May dela Cruz-Papa
- Clinical and Translational Research Institute, The Medical City, Pasig, Philippines
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines
- Research Center for Natural and Applied Sciences, University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines
| | - Roland Remenyi
- Clinical and Translational Research Institute, The Medical City, Pasig, Philippines
| | - Mely Cherrylynne B. Cruz
- Clinical and Translational Research Institute, The Medical City, Pasig, Philippines
- The Graduate School, University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines
| | - Raul V. Destura
- Clinical and Translational Research Institute, The Medical City, Pasig, Philippines
- National Institutes of Health, University of the Philippines Manila, Manila, Philippines
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Farooq T, Hussain MD, Shakeel MT, Tariqjaveed M, Aslam MN, Naqvi SAH, Amjad R, Tang Y, She X, He Z. Deploying Viruses against Phytobacteria: Potential Use of Phage Cocktails as a Multifaceted Approach to Combat Resistant Bacterial Plant Pathogens. Viruses 2022; 14:171. [PMID: 35215763 PMCID: PMC8879233 DOI: 10.3390/v14020171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [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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Affiliation(s)
- Tahir Farooq
- Plant Protection Research Institute and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of High Technology for Plant Protection, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China; (T.F.); (Y.T.)
| | - Muhammad Dilshad Hussain
- State Key Laboratory for Agro-Biotechnology, and Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Key Laboratory for Pest Monitoring and Green Management, Department of Plant Pathology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China;
| | - Muhammad Taimoor Shakeel
- Department of Plant Pathology, Faculty of Agriculture & Environment, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur 63100, Pakistan; (M.T.S.); (M.N.A.)
| | - Muhammad Tariqjaveed
- Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China;
| | - Muhammad Naveed Aslam
- Department of Plant Pathology, Faculty of Agriculture & Environment, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur 63100, Pakistan; (M.T.S.); (M.N.A.)
| | - Syed Atif Hasan Naqvi
- Department of Plant Pathology, Faculty of Agriculture Science and Technology, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan 60800, Pakistan;
| | - Rizwa Amjad
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan;
| | - Yafei Tang
- Plant Protection Research Institute and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of High Technology for Plant Protection, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China; (T.F.); (Y.T.)
| | - Xiaoman She
- Plant Protection Research Institute and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of High Technology for Plant Protection, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China; (T.F.); (Y.T.)
| | - Zifu He
- Plant Protection Research Institute and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of High Technology for Plant Protection, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China; (T.F.); (Y.T.)
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45
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Kauffman KM, Chang WK, Brown JM, Hussain FA, Yang J, Polz MF, Kelly L. Resolving the structure of phage-bacteria interactions in the context of natural diversity. Nat Commun 2022; 13:372. [PMID: 35042853 PMCID: PMC8766483 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-27583-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbial communities are shaped by viral predators. Yet, resolving which viruses (phages) and bacteria are interacting is a major challenge in the context of natural levels of microbial diversity. Thus, fundamental features of how phage-bacteria interactions are structured and evolve in the wild remain poorly resolved. Here we use large-scale isolation of environmental marine Vibrio bacteria and their phages to obtain estimates of strain-level phage predator loads, and use all-by-all host range assays to discover how phage and host genomic diversity shape interactions. We show that lytic interactions in environmental interaction networks (as observed in agar overlay) are sparse-with phage predator loads being low for most bacterial strains, and phages being host-strain-specific. Paradoxically, we also find that although overlap in killing is generally rare between tailed phages, recombination is common. Together, these results suggest that recombination during cryptic co-infections is an important mode of phage evolution in microbial communities. In the development of phages for bioengineering and therapeutics it is important to consider that nucleic acids of introduced phages may spread into local phage populations through recombination, and that the likelihood of transfer is not predictable based on lytic host range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn M Kauffman
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
- Department of Oral Biology, The University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, 14214, USA
| | - William K Chang
- Department of Systems and Computational Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - Julia M Brown
- Department of Systems and Computational Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
- Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, East Boothbay, ME, 04544, USA
| | - Fatima A Hussain
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Joy Yang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Martin F Polz
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
- Division of Microbial Ecology, Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Libusha Kelly
- Department of Systems and Computational Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA.
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA.
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46
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Olson EG, Micciche AC, Rothrock MJ, Yang Y, Ricke SC. Application of Bacteriophages to Limit Campylobacter in Poultry Production. Front Microbiol 2022; 12:458721. [PMID: 35069459 PMCID: PMC8766974 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.458721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2019] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Campylobacter is a major foodborne pathogen with over a million United States cases a year and is typically acquired through the consumption of poultry products. The common occurrence of Campylobacter as a member of the poultry gastrointestinal tract microbial community remains a challenge for optimizing intervention strategies. Simultaneously, increasing demand for antibiotic-free products has led to the development of several alternative control measures both at the farm and in processing operations. Bacteriophages administered to reduce foodborne pathogens are one of the alternatives that have received renewed interest. Campylobacter phages have been isolated from both conventionally and organically raised poultry. Isolated and cultivated Campylobacter bacteriophages have been used as an intervention in live birds to target colonized Campylobacter in the gastrointestinal tract. Application of Campylobacter phages to poultry carcasses has also been explored as a strategy to reduce Campylobacter levels during poultry processing. This review will focus on the biology and ecology of Campylobacter bacteriophages in poultry production followed by discussion on current and potential applications as an intervention strategy to reduce Campylobacter occurrence in poultry production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena G. Olson
- Meat Science and Animal Biologics Discovery Program, Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Andrew C. Micciche
- Center for Food Safety, Department of Food Science, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, United States
| | - Michael J. Rothrock
- Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Yichao Yang
- Department of Poultry Science, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, United States
| | - Steven C. Ricke
- Meat Science and Animal Biologics Discovery Program, Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United States
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47
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Šantl-Temkiv T, Amato P, Casamayor EO, Lee PKH, Pointing SB. OUP accepted manuscript. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2022; 46:6524182. [PMID: 35137064 PMCID: PMC9249623 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuac009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The atmosphere connects habitats across multiple spatial scales via airborne dispersal of microbial cells, propagules and biomolecules. Atmospheric microorganisms have been implicated in a variety of biochemical and biophysical transformations. Here, we review ecological aspects of airborne microorganisms with respect to their dispersal, activity and contribution to climatic processes. Latest studies utilizing metagenomic approaches demonstrate that airborne microbial communities exhibit pronounced biogeography, driven by a combination of biotic and abiotic factors. We quantify distributions and fluxes of microbial cells between surface habitats and the atmosphere and place special emphasis on long-range pathogen dispersal. Recent advances have established that these processes may be relevant for macroecological outcomes in terrestrial and marine habitats. We evaluate the potential biological transformation of atmospheric volatile organic compounds and other substrates by airborne microorganisms and discuss clouds as hotspots of microbial metabolic activity in the atmosphere. Furthermore, we emphasize the role of microorganisms as ice nucleating particles and their relevance for the water cycle via formation of clouds and precipitation. Finally, potential impacts of anthropogenic forcing on the natural atmospheric microbiota via emission of particulate matter, greenhouse gases and microorganisms are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tina Šantl-Temkiv
- Department of Biology, Aarhus University, DK-8000 Aarhus, Denmark
- Stellar Astrophysics Centre, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, DK-8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Pierre Amato
- Institut de Chimie de Clermont-Ferrand, SIGMA Clermont, CNRS, Université Clermont Auvergne, 63178, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Emilio O Casamayor
- Centre for Advanced Studies of Blanes, Spanish Council for Research (CSIC), 17300, Blanes, Spain
| | - Patrick K H Lee
- School of Energy and Environment, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Stephen B Pointing
- Corresponding author: Yale-NUS College, National University of Singapore, 16 College Avenue West, Singapore 138527. Tel: +65 6601 1000; E-mail:
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48
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Li N, Zeng Y, Bao R, Zhu T, Tan D, Hu B. Isolation and Characterization of Novel Phages Targeting Pathogenic Klebsiella pneumoniae. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:792305. [PMID: 34926329 PMCID: PMC8677704 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.792305] [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: 10/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Klebsiella pneumoniae is a dominant cause of community-acquired and nosocomial infections, specifically among immunocompromised individuals. The increasing occurrence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) isolates has significantly impacted the effectiveness of antimicrobial agents. As antibiotic resistance is becoming increasingly prevalent worldwide, the use of bacteriophages to treat pathogenic bacterial infections has recently gained attention. Elucidating the details of phage-bacteria interactions will provide insights into phage biology and the better development of phage therapy. In this study, a total of 22 K. pneumoniae isolates were assessed for their genetic and phenotypic relatedness by multi-locus sequence typing (MLST), endonuclease S1 nuclease pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (S1-PFGE), and in vitro antibiotic susceptibility testing. In addition, the beta-lactamase gene (blaKPC) was characterized to determine the spread and outbreak of K. pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC)-producing enterobacterial pathogens. Using these ST11 carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae isolates, three phages (NL_ZS_1, NL_ZS_2, and NL_ZS_3) from the family of Podoviridae were isolated and characterized to evaluate the application of lytic phages against the MDR K. pneumoniae isolates. In vitro inhibition assays with three phages and K. pneumoniae strain ZS15 demonstrated the strong lytic potential of the phages, however, followed by the rapid growth of phage-resistant and phage-sensitive mutants, suggesting several anti-phage mechanisms had developed in the host populations. Together, this data adds more comprehensive knowledge to known phage biology and further emphasizes their complexity and future challenges to overcome prior to using phages for controlling this important MDR bacterium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Li
- Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yigang Zeng
- Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Rong Bao
- Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Tongyu Zhu
- Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Demeng Tan
- Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Bijie Hu
- Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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49
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Shang J, Sun Y. Predicting the hosts of prokaryotic viruses using GCN-based semi-supervised learning. BMC Biol 2021; 19:250. [PMID: 34819064 PMCID: PMC8611875 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-021-01180-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Prokaryotic viruses, which infect bacteria and archaea, are the most abundant and diverse biological entities in the biosphere. To understand their regulatory roles in various ecosystems and to harness the potential of bacteriophages for use in therapy, more knowledge of viral-host relationships is required. High-throughput sequencing and its application to the microbiome have offered new opportunities for computational approaches for predicting which hosts particular viruses can infect. However, there are two main challenges for computational host prediction. First, the empirically known virus-host relationships are very limited. Second, although sequence similarity between viruses and their prokaryote hosts have been used as a major feature for host prediction, the alignment is either missing or ambiguous in many cases. Thus, there is still a need to improve the accuracy of host prediction. Results In this work, we present a semi-supervised learning model, named HostG, to conduct host prediction for novel viruses. We construct a knowledge graph by utilizing both virus-virus protein similarity and virus-host DNA sequence similarity. Then graph convolutional network (GCN) is adopted to exploit viruses with or without known hosts in training to enhance the learning ability. During the GCN training, we minimize the expected calibrated error (ECE) to ensure the confidence of the predictions. We tested HostG on both simulated and real sequencing data and compared its performance with other state-of-the-art methods specifically designed for virus host classification (VHM-net, WIsH, PHP, HoPhage, RaFAH, vHULK, and VPF-Class). Conclusion HostG outperforms other popular methods, demonstrating the efficacy of using a GCN-based semi-supervised learning approach. A particular advantage of HostG is its ability to predict hosts from new taxa. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at (10.1186/s12915-021-01180-4).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiayu Shang
- Electrical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yanni Sun
- Electrical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
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50
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Picton DM, Luyten YA, Morgan RD, Nelson A, Smith DL, Dryden DTF, Hinton JCD, Blower TR. The phage defence island of a multidrug resistant plasmid uses both BREX and type IV restriction for complementary protection from viruses. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:11257-11273. [PMID: 34657954 PMCID: PMC8565348 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Revised: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteria have evolved a multitude of systems to prevent invasion by bacteriophages and other mobile genetic elements. Comparative genomics suggests that genes encoding bacterial defence mechanisms are often clustered in 'defence islands', providing a concerted level of protection against a wider range of attackers. However, there is a comparative paucity of information on functional interplay between multiple defence systems. Here, we have functionally characterised a defence island from a multidrug resistant plasmid of the emerging pathogen Escherichia fergusonii. Using a suite of thirty environmentally-isolated coliphages, we demonstrate multi-layered and robust phage protection provided by a plasmid-encoded defence island that expresses both a type I BREX system and the novel GmrSD-family type IV DNA modification-dependent restriction enzyme, BrxU. We present the structure of BrxU to 2.12 Å, the first structure of the GmrSD family of enzymes, and show that BrxU can utilise all common nucleotides and a wide selection of metals to cleave a range of modified DNAs. Additionally, BrxU undergoes a multi-step reaction cycle instigated by an unexpected ATP-dependent shift from an intertwined dimer to monomers. This direct evidence that bacterial defence islands can mediate complementary layers of phage protection enhances our understanding of the ever-expanding nature of phage-bacterial interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- David M Picton
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Stockton Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Yvette A Luyten
- New England Biolabs, 240 County Road, Ipswich, MA 01938, USA
| | | | - Andrew Nelson
- Department of Applied Sciences, University of Northumbria, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 8ST, UK
| | - Darren L Smith
- Department of Applied Sciences, University of Northumbria, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 8ST, UK
| | - David T F Dryden
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Stockton Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Jay C D Hinton
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Tim R Blower
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Stockton Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
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