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Cucić S, Ells T, Guri A, Kropinski AM, Khursigara CM, Anany H. Degradation of Listeria monocytogenes biofilm by phages belonging to the genus Pecentumvirus. Appl Environ Microbiol 2024; 90:e0106223. [PMID: 38315006 PMCID: PMC10952537 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01062-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Listeria monocytogenes is a pathogenic foodborne bacterium that is a significant cause of mortality associated with foodborne illness and causes many food recalls attributed to a bacteriological cause. Their ability to form biofilms contributes to the persistence of Listeria spp. in food processing environments. When growing as biofilms, L. monocytogenes are more resistant to sanitizers used in the food industry, such as benzalkonium chloride (BAC), as well as to physical stresses like desiccation and starvation. Lytic phages of Listeria are antagonistic to a broad range of Listeria spp. and may, therefore, have utility in reducing the occurrence of Listeria-associated food recalls by preventing food contamination. We screened nine closely related Listeria phages, including the commercially available Listex P100, for host range and ability to degrade microtiter plate biofilms of L. monocytogenes ATCC 19111 (serovar 1/2a). One phage, CKA15, was selected and shown to rapidly adsorb to its host under conditions relevant to applying the phage in dairy processing environments. Under simulated dairy processing conditions (SDPC), CKA15 caused a 2-log reduction in Lm19111 biofilm bacteria. This work supports the biosanitation potential of phage CKA15 and provides a basis for further investigation of phage-bacteria interactions in biofilms grown under SDPC. IMPORTANCE Listeria monocytogenes is a pathogenic bacterium that is especially dangerous for children, the elderly, pregnant women, and immune-compromised people. Because of this, the food industry takes its presence in their plants seriously. Food recalls due to L. monocytogenes are common with a high associated economic cost. In food-processing plants, Listeria spp. typically reside in biofilms, which are structures produced by bacteria that shield them from environmental stressors and are often attached to surfaces. The significance of our work is that we show a bacteriophage-a virus-infecting bacteria-can reduce Listeria counts by two orders of magnitude when the bacterial biofilms were grown under simulated dairy processing conditions. This work provides insights into how phages may be tested and used to develop biosanitizers that are effective but are not harmful to the environment or human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stevan Cucić
- Guelph Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, College of Biological Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Tim Ells
- Kentville Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Kentville, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Anilda Guri
- Gay Lea Foods Co-operative, Research and Development Centre, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Andrew M. Kropinski
- Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Cezar M. Khursigara
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, College of Biological Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Hany Anany
- Guelph Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, College of Biological Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
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Britton AP, Visser KA, Ongenae VMA, Zhang P, Wassink H, Doerksen TA, Welke CA, Lynch KH, van Belkum MJ, Dennis JJ, Yang X, Claessen D, Briegel A, Martin-Visscher LA. Characterization of Bacteriophage cd2, a Siphophage Infecting Carnobacterium divergens and a Representative Species of a New Genus of Phage. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0097323. [PMID: 37458599 PMCID: PMC10434151 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00973-23] [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: 03/04/2023] [Accepted: 06/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Carnobacterium divergens is frequently isolated from natural environments and is a predominant species found in refrigerated foods, particularly meat, seafood, and dairy. While there is substantial interest in using C. divergens as biopreservatives and/or probiotics, some strains are known to be fish pathogens, and the uncontrolled growth of C. divergens has been associated with food spoilage. Bacteriophages offer a selective approach to identify and control the growth of bacteria; however, to date, few phages targeting C. divergens have been reported. In this study, we characterize bacteriophage cd2, which we recently isolated from minced beef. A detailed host range study reveals that phage cd2 infects certain phylogenetic groups of C. divergens. This phage has a latent period of 60 min and a burst size of ~28 PFU/infected cell. The phage was found to be acid and heat sensitive, with a complete loss of phage activity when stored at pH 2 or heated to 60°C. Electron microscopy shows that phage cd2 is a siphophage, and while it shares the B3 morphotype with a unique cluster of Listeria and Enterococcus phages, a comparison of genomes reveals that phage cd2 comprises a new genus of phage, which we have termed as Carnodivirus. IMPORTANCE Currently, very little is known about phages that infect carnobacteria, an important genus of lactic acid bacteria with both beneficial and detrimental effects in the food and aquaculture industries. This report provides a detailed characterization of phage cd2, a novel siphophage that targets Carnobacterium divergens, and sets the groundwork for understanding the biology of these phages and their potential use in the detection and biocontrol of C. divergens isolates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelle P. Britton
- Department of Chemistry, The King’s University, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Kaitlyn A. Visser
- Department of Chemistry, The King’s University, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Véronique M. A. Ongenae
- Molecular Biotechnology, Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Centre for Microbial Cell Biology, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Peipei Zhang
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lacombe, Alberta, Canada
| | - Heather Wassink
- Department of Chemistry, The King’s University, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Thomas A. Doerksen
- Department of Chemistry, The King’s University, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Catherine A. Welke
- Department of Chemistry, The King’s University, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Karlene H. Lynch
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | | | - Jonathan J. Dennis
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Xianqin Yang
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lacombe, Alberta, Canada
| | - Dennis Claessen
- Molecular Biotechnology, Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Centre for Microbial Cell Biology, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Ariane Briegel
- Molecular Biotechnology, Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Centre for Microbial Cell Biology, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
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Gomez M, Szewczyk A, Szamosi J, Leung V, Filipe C, Hosseinidoust Z. Stress Exposure of Evolved Bacteriophages under Laboratory versus Food Processing Conditions Highlights Challenges in Translatability. Viruses 2022; 15:113. [PMID: 36680153 PMCID: PMC9865000 DOI: 10.3390/v15010113] [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: 10/25/2022] [Revised: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial viruses, or bacteriophages, are highly potent, target-specific antimicrobials. Bacteriophages can be safely applied along the food production chain to aid control of foodborne pathogens. However, bacteriophages are often sensitive to the environments encountered in food matrices and under processing conditions, thus limiting their applicability. We sought to address this challenge by exposing commercially available Listeria monocytogenes bacteriophage, P100, to three stress conditions: desiccation, elevated temperature, and low pH, to select for stress-resistant bacteriophages. The stressed bacteriophage populations lost up to 5.1 log10 in infectivity; however, the surviving subpopulation retained their stress-resistant phenotype through five passages with a maximum of 2.0 log10 loss in infectivity when exposed to the same stressor. Sequencing identified key mutation regions but did not reveal a clear mechanism of resistance. The stress-selected bacteriophage populations effectively suppressed L. monocytogenes growth at a modest multiplicity of infection of 0.35-0.43, indicating no trade-off in lytic ability in return for improved survivability. The stressed subpopulations were tested for survival on food grade stainless steel, during milk pasteurization, and within acidic beverages. Interestingly, air drying on stainless steel and pasteurization in milk led to significantly less stress and titer loss in bacteriophage compared to similar stress under model lab conditions. This led to a diminished benefit for stress-selection, thus highlighting a major challenge in real-life translatability of bacteriophage adaptational evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mellissa Gomez
- Department of Chemical Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L7, Canada
| | - Alexandra Szewczyk
- Department of Chemical Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L7, Canada
| | - Jake Szamosi
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8P 1H6, Canada
| | - Vincent Leung
- Department of Chemical Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L7, Canada
| | - Carlos Filipe
- Department of Chemical Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L7, Canada
| | - Zeinab Hosseinidoust
- Department of Chemical Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L7, Canada
- School of Biomedical Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada
- Michael DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada
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Lamb DC, Goldstone JV, Zhao B, Lei L, Mullins JGL, Allen MJ, Kelly SL, Stegeman JJ. Characterization of a Virally Encoded Flavodoxin That Can Drive Bacterial Cytochrome P450 Monooxygenase Activity. Biomolecules 2022; 12:1107. [PMID: 36009001 PMCID: PMC9405906 DOI: 10.3390/biom12081107] [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: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Flavodoxins are small electron transport proteins that are involved in a myriad of photosynthetic and non-photosynthetic metabolic pathways in Bacteria (including cyanobacteria), Archaea and some algae. The sequenced genome of 0305φ8-36, a large bacteriophage that infects the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis, was predicted to encode a putative flavodoxin redox protein. Here we confirm that 0305φ8-36 phage encodes a FMN-containing flavodoxin polypeptide and we report the expression, purification and enzymatic characterization of the recombinant protein. Purified 0305φ8-36 flavodoxin has near-identical spectral properties to control, purified Escherichia coli flavodoxin. Using in vitro assays we show that 0305φ8-36 flavodoxin can be reconstituted with E. coli flavodoxin reductase and support regio- and stereospecific cytochrome P450 CYP170A1 allyl-oxidation of epi-isozizaene to the sesquiterpene antibiotic product albaflavenone, found in the soil bacterium Streptomyces coelicolor. In vivo, 0305φ8-36 flavodoxin is predicted to mediate the 2-electron reduction of the β subunit of phage-encoded ribonucleotide reductase to catalyse the conversion of ribonucleotides to deoxyribonucleotides during viral replication. Our results demonstrate that this phage flavodoxin has the potential to manipulate and drive bacterial P450 cellular metabolism, which may affect both the host biological fitness and the communal microbiome. Such a scenario may also be applicable in other viral-host symbiotic/parasitic relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- David C. Lamb
- Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences, Swansea University, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
| | - Jared V. Goldstone
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543-1050, USA
| | - Bin Zhao
- Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute, 9500 Euclid Avenue, NB21, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
| | - Li Lei
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University Medical School, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232-0146, USA
| | | | - Michael J. Allen
- Department of Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Steven L. Kelly
- Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences, Swansea University, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
| | - John J. Stegeman
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543-1050, USA
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Song Y, Peters TL, Bryan DW, Hudson LK, Denes TG. Characterization of a Novel Group of Listeria Phages That Target Serotype 4b Listeria monocytogenes. Viruses 2021; 13:v13040671. [PMID: 33919793 PMCID: PMC8070769 DOI: 10.3390/v13040671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2021] [Revised: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Listeria monocytogenes serotype 4b strains are the most prevalent clinical isolates and are widely found in food processing environments. Bacteriophages are natural viral predators of bacteria and are a promising biocontrol agent for L. monocytogenes. The aims of this study were to characterize phages that specifically infect serotype 4b strains and to assess their ability to inhibit the growth of serotype 4b strains. Out of 120 wild Listeria phages, nine phages were selected based on their strong lytic activity against the model serotype 4b strain F2365. These nine phages can be divided into two groups based on their morphological characteristics and host range. Comparison to previously characterized phage genomes revealed one of these groups qualifies to be defined as a novel species. Phages LP-020, LP-027, and LP-094 were selected as representatives of these two groups of phages for further characterization through one-step growth curve and inhibition of serotype 4b L. monocytogenes experiments. Listeria phages that target serotype 4b showed an inhibitory effect on the growth of F2365 and other serotype 4 strains and may be useful for biocontrol of L.monocytogenes in food processing environments.
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Blanco Fernandez MD, Klumpp J, Barrios ME, Mbayed VA. Gene gain and loss and recombination shape evolution of Listeria bacteriophages of the genus Pecentumvirus. Genomics 2020; 113:411-419. [PMID: 33301894 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2020.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2020] [Revised: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Listeria monocytogenes is an important food-borne pathogen and its bacteriophages are promising tools for its control in food and surfaces. Listeria bacteriophages belonging to the genus Pecentumvirus of the family Herelleviridae are strictly lytic, have a contractile tail and a large double stranded DNA genome (mean of 135.4 kb). We report the isolation and genome sequences of two new Pecentumvirus bacteriophages: vB_Lino_VEfB7 and vB_Liva_VAfA18. Twenty-one bacteriophages of this genus have been described and their genomes were used for the study of Pecentumvirus evolution. Analyses showed collinear genomes and gene gain and loss propensity and recombination events were distinctly found in two regions. A large potential recombination event (≈20 kB) was detected in P100 and vB_Liva_VAfA18. Phylogenetic analyses of multi-gene alignments showed that diversification events formed two groups of species distantly related.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Dolores Blanco Fernandez
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Instituto de Investigaciones en Bacteriología y Virología Molecular (IBaViM), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Jochen Klumpp
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Melina E Barrios
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Instituto de Investigaciones en Bacteriología y Virología Molecular (IBaViM), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Viviana A Mbayed
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Instituto de Investigaciones en Bacteriología y Virología Molecular (IBaViM), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Mutant and Recombinant Phages Selected from In Vitro Coevolution Conditions Overcome Phage-Resistant Listeria monocytogenes. Appl Environ Microbiol 2020; 86:AEM.02138-20. [PMID: 32887717 DOI: 10.1128/aem.02138-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophages (phages) are currently available for use by the food industry to control the foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes Although phage biocontrols are effective under specific conditions, their use can select for phage-resistant bacteria that repopulate phage-treated environments. Here, we performed short-term coevolution experiments to investigate the impact of single phages and a two-phage cocktail on the regrowth of phage-resistant L. monocytogenes and the adaptation of the phages to overcome this resistance. We used whole-genome sequencing to identify mutations in the target host that confer phage resistance and in the phages that alter host range. We found that infections with Listeria phages LP-048, LP-125, or a combination of both select for different populations of phage-resistant L. monocytogenes bacteria with different regrowth times. Phages isolated from the end of the coevolution experiments were found to have gained the ability to infect phage-resistant mutants of L. monocytogenes and L. monocytogenes strains previously found to be broadly resistant to phage infection. Phages isolated from coinfected cultures were identified as recombinants of LP-048 and LP-125. Interestingly, recombination events occurred twice independently in a locus encoding two proteins putatively involved in DNA binding. We show that short-term coevolution of phages and their hosts can be utilized to obtain mutant and recombinant phages with adapted host ranges. These laboratory-evolved phages may be useful for limiting the emergence of phage resistance and for targeting strains that show general resistance to wild-type (WT) phages.IMPORTANCE Listeria monocytogenes is a life-threatening bacterial foodborne pathogen that can persist in food processing facilities for years. Phages can be used to control L. monocytogenes in food production, but phage-resistant bacterial subpopulations can regrow in phage-treated environments. Coevolution experiments were conducted on a Listeria phage-host system to provide insight into the genetic variation that emerges in both the phage and bacterial host under reciprocal selective pressure. As expected, mutations were identified in both phage and host, but additionally, recombination events were shown to have repeatedly occurred between closely related phages that coinfected L. monocytogenes This study demonstrates that in vitro evolution of phages can be utilized to expand the host range and improve the long-term efficacy of phage-based control of L. monocytogenes This approach may also be applied to other phage-host systems for applications in biocontrol, detection, and phage therapy.
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