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Sisson HM, Jackson SA, Fagerlund RD, Warring SL, Fineran PC. Gram-negative endolysins: overcoming the outer membrane obstacle. Curr Opin Microbiol 2024; 78:102433. [PMID: 38350268 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2024.102433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024]
Abstract
Our ability to control the growth of Gram-negative bacterial pathogens is challenged by rising antimicrobial resistance and requires new approaches. Endolysins are phage-derived enzymes that degrade peptidoglycan and therefore offer potential as antimicrobial agents. However, the outer membrane (OM) of Gram-negative bacteria impedes the access of externally applied endolysins to peptidoglycan. This review highlights recent advances in the discovery and characterization of natural endolysins that can breach the OM, as well as chemical and engineering approaches that increase antimicrobial efficacy of endolysins against Gram-negative pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hazel M Sisson
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand; Genetics Otago, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand; Bioprotection Aotearoa, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | - Simon A Jackson
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand; Genetics Otago, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand; Bioprotection Aotearoa, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand; Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | - Robert D Fagerlund
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand; Genetics Otago, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand; Bioprotection Aotearoa, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand; Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | - Suzanne L Warring
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand; Genetics Otago, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | - Peter C Fineran
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand; Genetics Otago, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand; Bioprotection Aotearoa, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand; Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand.
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2
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Szadkowska M, Kocot AM, Sowik D, Wyrzykowski D, Jankowska E, Kozlowski LP, Makowska J, Plotka M. Molecular characterization of the PhiKo endolysin from Thermus thermophilus HB27 bacteriophage phiKo and its cryptic lytic peptide RAP-29. Front Microbiol 2024; 14:1303794. [PMID: 38312500 PMCID: PMC10836841 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1303794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 02/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction In the era of increasing bacterial resistance to antibiotics, new bactericidal substances are sought, and lysins derived from extremophilic organisms have the undoubted advantage of being stable under harsh environmental conditions. The PhiKo endolysin is derived from the phiKo bacteriophage infecting Gram-negative extremophilic bacterium Thermus thermophilus HB27. This enzyme shows similarity to two previously investigated thermostable type-2 amidases, the Ts2631 and Ph2119 from Thermus scotoductus bacteriophages, that revealed high lytic activity not only against thermophiles but also against Gram-negative mesophilic bacteria. Therefore, antibacterial potential of the PhiKo endolysin was investigated in the study presented here. Methods Enzyme activity was assessed using turbidity reduction assays (TRAs) and antibacterial tests. Differential scanning calorimetry was applied to evaluate protein stability. The Collection of Anti-Microbial Peptides (CAMP) and Antimicrobial Peptide Calculator and Predictor (APD3) were used to predict regions with antimicrobial potential in the PhiKo primary sequence. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the RAP-29 synthetic peptide was determined against Gram-positive and Gram-negative selected strains, and mechanism of action was investigated with use of membrane potential sensitive fluorescent dye 3,3'-Dipropylthiacarbocyanine iodide (DiSC3(5)). Results and discussion The PhiKo endolysin is highly thermostable with melting temperature of 91.70°C. However, despite its lytic effect against such extremophiles as: T. thermophilus, Thermus flavus, Thermus parvatiensis, Thermus scotoductus, and Deinococcus radiodurans, PhiKo showed moderate antibacterial activity against mesophiles. Consequently, its protein sequence was searched for regions with potential antibacterial activity. A highly positively charged region was identified and synthetized (PhiKo105-133). The novel RAP-29 peptide lysed mesophilic strains of staphylococci and Gram-negative bacteria, reducing the number of cells by 3.7-7.1 log units and reaching the minimum inhibitory concentration values in the range of 2-31 μM. This peptide is unstructured in an aqueous solution but forms an α-helix in the presence of detergents. Moreover, it binds lipoteichoic acid and lipopolysaccharide, and causes depolarization of bacterial membranes. The RAP-29 peptide is a promising candidate for combating bacterial pathogens. The existence of this cryptic peptide testifies to a much wider panel of antimicrobial peptides than thought previously.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Szadkowska
- Laboratory of Extremophiles Biology, Department of Microbiology, University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Aleksandra Maria Kocot
- Laboratory of Extremophiles Biology, Department of Microbiology, University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Daria Sowik
- Department of Biomedical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Dariusz Wyrzykowski
- Department of General and Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Elzbieta Jankowska
- Department of Biomedical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Lukasz Pawel Kozlowski
- Institute of Informatics, Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Mechanics, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Joanna Makowska
- Department of General and Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Magdalena Plotka
- Laboratory of Extremophiles Biology, Department of Microbiology, University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
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3
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Carratalá JV, Arís A, Garcia-Fruitós E, Ferrer-Miralles N. Design strategies for positively charged endolysins: Insights into Artilysin development. Biotechnol Adv 2023; 69:108250. [PMID: 37678419 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2023.108250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
Endolysins are bacteriophage-encoded enzymes that can specifically degrade the peptidoglycan layer of bacterial cell wall, making them an attractive tool for the development of novel antibacterial agents. The use of genetic engineering techniques for the production and modification of endolysins offers the opportunity to customize their properties and activity against specific bacterial targets, paving the way for the development of personalized therapies for bacterial infections. Gram-negative bacteria possess an outer membrane that can hinder the action of recombinantly produced endolysins. However, certain endolysins are capable of crossing the outer membrane by virtue of segments that share properties resembling those of cationic peptides. These regions increase the affinity of the endolysin towards the bacterial surface and assist in the permeabilization of the membrane. In order to improve the bactericidal effectiveness of endolysins, approaches have been implemented to increase their net charge, including the development of Artilysins containing positively charged amino acids at one end. At present, there are no specific guidelines outlining the steps for implementing these modifications. There is an ongoing debate surrounding the optimal location of positive charge, the need for a linker region, and the specific amino acid composition of peptides for modifying endolysins. The aim of this study is to provide clarity on these topics by analyzing and comparing the most effective modifications found in previous literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose Vicente Carratalá
- Department of Ruminant Production, Institute of Agriculture and Agrifood Research and Technology (IRTA), Caldes de Montbui, 08140 Barcelona, Spain; Institute for Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Spain; Department of Genetics and Microbiology, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Spain; Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine Networking Biomedical Research Centre (CIBER-BBN), C/Monforte de Lemos 3-5, 28029 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Anna Arís
- Department of Ruminant Production, Institute of Agriculture and Agrifood Research and Technology (IRTA), Caldes de Montbui, 08140 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Elena Garcia-Fruitós
- Department of Ruminant Production, Institute of Agriculture and Agrifood Research and Technology (IRTA), Caldes de Montbui, 08140 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Neus Ferrer-Miralles
- Institute for Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Spain; Department of Genetics and Microbiology, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Spain; Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine Networking Biomedical Research Centre (CIBER-BBN), C/Monforte de Lemos 3-5, 28029 Madrid, Spain
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4
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Doss RK, Palmer M, Mead DA, Hedlund BP. Functional biology and biotechnology of thermophilic viruses. Essays Biochem 2023; 67:671-684. [PMID: 37222046 PMCID: PMC10423840 DOI: 10.1042/ebc20220209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Viruses have developed sophisticated biochemical and genetic mechanisms to manipulate and exploit their hosts. Enzymes derived from viruses have been essential research tools since the first days of molecular biology. However, most viral enzymes that have been commercialized are derived from a small number of cultivated viruses, which is remarkable considering the extraordinary diversity and abundance of viruses revealed by metagenomic analysis. Given the explosion of new enzymatic reagents derived from thermophilic prokaryotes over the past 40 years, those obtained from thermophilic viruses should be equally potent tools. This review discusses the still-limited state of the art regarding the functional biology and biotechnology of thermophilic viruses with a focus on DNA polymerases, ligases, endolysins, and coat proteins. Functional analysis of DNA polymerases and primase-polymerases from phages infecting Thermus, Aquificaceae, and Nitratiruptor has revealed new clades of enzymes with strong proofreading and reverse transcriptase capabilities. Thermophilic RNA ligase 1 homologs have been characterized from Rhodothermus and Thermus phages, with both commercialized for circularization of single-stranded templates. Endolysins from phages infecting Thermus, Meiothermus, and Geobacillus have shown high stability and unusually broad lytic activity against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, making them targets for commercialization as antimicrobials. Coat proteins from thermophilic viruses infecting Sulfolobales and Thermus strains have been characterized, with diverse potential applications as molecular shuttles. To gauge the scale of untapped resources for these proteins, we also document over 20,000 genes encoded by uncultivated viral genomes from high-temperature environments that encode DNA polymerase, ligase, endolysin, or coat protein domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan K Doss
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.A
| | - Marike Palmer
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.A
| | | | - Brian P Hedlund
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.A
- Nevada Institute of Personalized Medicine, Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.A
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5
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Stante M, Weiland-Bräuer N, Repnik U, Werner A, Bramkamp M, Chibani CM, Schmitz RA. Four Novel Caudoviricetes Bacteriophages Isolated from Baltic Sea Water Infect Colonizers of Aurelia aurita. Viruses 2023; 15:1525. [PMID: 37515211 PMCID: PMC10383413 DOI: 10.3390/v15071525] [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: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The moon jellyfish Aurelia aurita is associated with a highly diverse microbiota changing with provenance, tissue, and life stage. While the crucial relevance of bacteria to host fitness is well known, bacteriophages have often been neglected. Here, we aimed to isolate virulent phages targeting bacteria that are part of the A. aurita-associated microbiota. Four phages (Pseudomonas phage BSwM KMM1, Citrobacter phages BSwM KMM2-BSwM KMM4) were isolated from the Baltic Sea water column and characterized. Phages KMM2/3/4 infected representatives of Citrobacter, Shigella, and Escherichia (Enterobacteriaceae), whereas KMM1 showed a remarkably broad host range, infecting Gram-negative Pseudomonas as well as Gram-positive Staphylococcus. All phages showed an up to 99% adsorption to host cells within 5 min, short latent periods (around 30 min), large burst sizes (mean of 128 pfu/cell), and high efficiency of plating (EOP > 0.5), demonstrating decent virulence, efficiency, and infectivity. Transmission electron microscopy and viral genome analysis revealed that all phages are novel species and belong to the class of Caudoviricetes harboring a tail and linear double-stranded DNA (formerly known as Siphovirus-like (KMM3) and Myovirus-like (KMM1/2/4) bacteriophages) with genome sizes between 50 and 138 kbp. In the future, these isolates will allow manipulation of the A. aurita-associated microbiota and provide new insights into phage impact on the multicellular host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Stante
- Institute for General Microbiology, Christian Albrechts University, Am Botanischen Garten 1-9, D-24118 Kiel, Germany; (M.S.); (N.W.-B.); (A.W.); (M.B.); (C.M.C.)
| | - Nancy Weiland-Bräuer
- Institute for General Microbiology, Christian Albrechts University, Am Botanischen Garten 1-9, D-24118 Kiel, Germany; (M.S.); (N.W.-B.); (A.W.); (M.B.); (C.M.C.)
| | - Urska Repnik
- Central Microscopy Facility, Christian Albrechts University, Am Botanischen Garten 1-9, D-24118 Kiel, Germany;
| | - Almut Werner
- Institute for General Microbiology, Christian Albrechts University, Am Botanischen Garten 1-9, D-24118 Kiel, Germany; (M.S.); (N.W.-B.); (A.W.); (M.B.); (C.M.C.)
| | - Marc Bramkamp
- Institute for General Microbiology, Christian Albrechts University, Am Botanischen Garten 1-9, D-24118 Kiel, Germany; (M.S.); (N.W.-B.); (A.W.); (M.B.); (C.M.C.)
- Central Microscopy Facility, Christian Albrechts University, Am Botanischen Garten 1-9, D-24118 Kiel, Germany;
| | - Cynthia M. Chibani
- Institute for General Microbiology, Christian Albrechts University, Am Botanischen Garten 1-9, D-24118 Kiel, Germany; (M.S.); (N.W.-B.); (A.W.); (M.B.); (C.M.C.)
| | - Ruth A. Schmitz
- Institute for General Microbiology, Christian Albrechts University, Am Botanischen Garten 1-9, D-24118 Kiel, Germany; (M.S.); (N.W.-B.); (A.W.); (M.B.); (C.M.C.)
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6
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Lazar V, Oprea E, Ditu LM. Resistance, Tolerance, Virulence and Bacterial Pathogen Fitness-Current State and Envisioned Solutions for the Near Future. Pathogens 2023; 12:pathogens12050746. [PMID: 37242416 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12050746] [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: 03/24/2023] [Revised: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The current antibiotic crisis and the global phenomena of bacterial resistance, inherited and non-inherited, and tolerance-associated with biofilm formation-are prompting dire predictions of a post-antibiotic era in the near future. These predictions refer to increases in morbidity and mortality rates as a consequence of infections with multidrug-resistant or pandrug-resistant microbial strains. In this context, we aimed to highlight the current status of the antibiotic resistance phenomenon and the significance of bacterial virulence properties/fitness for human health and to review the main strategies alternative or complementary to antibiotic therapy, some of them being already clinically applied or in clinical trials, others only foreseen and in the research phase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica Lazar
- Department of Botany and Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, 1-3 Portocalelor Street, 060101 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Eliza Oprea
- Department of Botany and Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, 1-3 Portocalelor Street, 060101 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Lia-Mara Ditu
- Department of Botany and Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, 1-3 Portocalelor Street, 060101 Bucharest, Romania
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7
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Liu H, Kheirvari M, Tumban E. Potential Applications of Thermophilic Bacteriophages in One Health. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:8222. [PMID: 37175929 PMCID: PMC10179064 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24098222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophages have a wide range of applications such as combating antibiotic resistance, preventing food contamination for food safety, and as biomarkers to indirectly assess the quality of water. Additionally, bacteriophage components (endolysins and coat proteins) have a lot of applications in food processing, vaccine design, and the delivery of cargo to the body. Therefore, bacteriophages/components have a multitude of applications in human, plant/veterinary, and environmental health (One Health). Despite their versatility, bacteriophage/component use is mostly limited to temperatures within 4-40 °C. This limits their applications (e.g., in food processing conditions, pasteurization, and vaccine design). Advances in thermophilic bacteriophage research have uncovered novel thermophilic endolysins (e.g., ΦGVE2 amidase and MMPphg) that can be used in food processing and in veterinary medicine. The endolysins are thermostable at temperatures > 65 °C and have broad antimicrobial activities. In addition to thermophilic endolysins, enzymes (DNA polymerase and ligases) derived from thermophages have different applications in molecular biology/biotechnology: to generate DNA libraries and develop diagnostics for human and animal pathogens. Furthermore, coat proteins from thermophages are being explored to develop virus-like particle platforms with versatile applications in human and animal health. Overall, bacteriophages, especially those that are thermophilic, have a plethora of applications in One Health.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ebenezer Tumban
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Texas Tech University, Amarillo, TX 79106, USA
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8
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Chang Y, Li Q, Zhang S, Zhang Q, Liu Y, Qi Q, Lu X. Identification and Molecular Modification of Staphylococcus aureus Bacteriophage Lysin LysDZ25. ACS Infect Dis 2023; 9:497-506. [PMID: 36787534 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.2c00493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
With the continuous emergence and spread of drug-resistant and multi-drug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, traditional antibiotic treatment has gradually lost its effect. There is an urgent need to develop and study new and effective bio-green inhibitors to control S. aureus. In this study, the S. aureus phage DZ25 was isolated from milk and the lysin LysDZ25 with excellent tolerance to serum and NaCl solution was identified. Subsequently, to improve the lytic activity and thermal stability of LysDZ25, RoseTTAFold was used to construct three-dimensional (3D) structures, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation was used for conformational acquisition, and the MDL strategy previously developed in our lab was used to rationally design variants. After two rounds of rational design, the optimal variant with improved thermal stability, S333V/N245R/D299L, was obtained, and its half-life time was 4.0-fold that of wild-type LysDZ25. At 37, 40, 45, and 50 °C, the lytic activity of the optimal triple-point variant S333V/N245R/D299L was increased by 17.3-, 26.7-, 20.2-, and 50.1-fold compared with that of the wild-type LysDZ25, respectively. Finally, cell count was used to evaluate the lytic activity, and the results showed that the optimal variant S333V/N245R/D299L could drop about 3.5 log 10 values compared with the control and about 2.6 log 10 values compared with the wild-type LysDZ25.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Chang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Qingbin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Shuhang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Qing Zhang
- Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan 250100, China
| | - Yuqing Liu
- Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan 250100, China
| | - Qingsheng Qi
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Xuemei Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China
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The Specific Properties of Phusang Hot Spring Water: Safety and Benefits. COSMETICS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/cosmetics9050089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Phusang warm pond or Phusang hot spring (Thailand) has a temperature of approximately 36–38 °C and may be suitable for bacterial growth. However, data on the microbiota and effectiveness of this water remain obscure. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the characteristics of Phusang hot spring water by clarifying the microorganisms and viral pathogens present. Cytotoxicity, irritation, liposome uptake, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects were evaluated. The levels of trace elements such as sodium (Na), calcium (Ca), and strontium (Sr) were confirmed. Phusang hot spring water was nontoxic to L-929 cells and HDFa cells and was nonirritating to human phototypes I to IV at 48 h. The antimicrobial effects of Phusang hot spring water on S. aureus, S. epidermidis, B. subtilis and E. coli were not detected using the agar well diffusion assay. Phusang hot spring water decreased interleukin-6 (IL-6) expression at 24 h compared with (PBS) and untreated controls, as measured using semi qRT‒PCR and ELISA. Phusang hot spring water combined with curcumin-loaded liposomes exerted antiaging effects, suggesting their benefits for application in cosmetic products. The bacteriophage families Myoviridae, Siphoviridae and Podoviridae were detected, but not HPV or EBV. Trace elements such as Na and Ca were present. Therefore, the importance of this study is that Phusang hot spring water exerts anti-inflammatory effects via IL-6, is nontoxic and nonirritating, and might be used for balneotherapy or as a cosmetic ingredient under sterile conditions.
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The resurgence of phage-based therapy in the era of increasing antibiotic resistance: from research progress to challenges and prospects. Microbiol Res 2022; 264:127155. [DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2022.127155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2022] [Revised: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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São-José C, Costa AR, Melo LDR. Editorial: Bacteriophages and Their Lytic Enzymes as Alternative Antibacterial Therapies in the Age of Antibiotic Resistance. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:884176. [PMID: 35401457 PMCID: PMC8991073 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.884176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Carlos São-José
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Ana Rita Costa
- Department of Bionanosciences, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
| | - Luís D R Melo
- CEB - Centre of Biological Enginering, LIBRO-Laboratório de Investigação em Biofilmes Rosário Oliveira, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,LABBELS - Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
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12
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Olo Ndela E, Enault F, Toussaint A. Transposable Prophages in Leptospira: An Ancient, Now Diverse, Group Predominant in Causative Agents of Weil's Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:13434. [PMID: 34948244 PMCID: PMC8705779 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222413434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Revised: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The virome associated with the corkscrew shaped bacterium Leptospira, responsible for Weil's disease, is scarcely known, and genetic tools available for these bacteria remain limited. To reduce these two issues, potential transposable prophages were searched in Leptospiraceae genomes. The 236 predicted transposable prophages were particularly abundant in the most pathogenic leptospiral clade, being potentially involved in the acquisition of virulent traits. According to genomic similarities and phylogenies, these prophages are distantly related to known transposable phages and are organized into six groups, one of them encompassing prophages with unusual TA-TA ends. Interestingly, structural and transposition proteins reconstruct different relationships between groups, suggesting ancestral recombinations. Based on the baseplate phylogeny, two large clades emerge, with specific gene-contents and high sequence divergence reflecting their ancient origin. Despite their high divergence, the size and overall genomic organization of all prophages are very conserved, a testimony to the highly constrained nature of their genomes. Finally, similarities between these prophages and the three known non-transposable phages infecting L. biflexa, suggest gene transfer between different Caudovirales inside their leptospiral host, and the possibility to use some of the transposable prophages in that model strain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Olo Ndela
- Laboratoire Microorganismes: Genome Environment (LMGE), Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, F-63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France;
| | - François Enault
- Laboratoire Microorganismes: Genome Environment (LMGE), Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, F-63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France;
| | - Ariane Toussaint
- Microbiologie Cellulaire et Moléculaire, Université Libre de Bruxelles, IBMM-DBM, 12 Rue des Professeurs Jeneer et Brachet, B-6041 Gosselies, Belgium;
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13
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Gontijo MTP, Jorge GP, Brocchi M. Current Status of Endolysin-Based Treatments against Gram-Negative Bacteria. Antibiotics (Basel) 2021; 10:1143. [PMID: 34680724 PMCID: PMC8532960 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics10101143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Revised: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The prevalence of multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria is a public health concern. Bacteriophages and bacteriophage-derived lytic enzymes have been studied in response to the emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria. The availability of tRNAs and endolysin toxicity during recombinant protein expression is circumvented by codon optimization and lower expression levels using inducible pET-type plasmids and controlled cultivation conditions, respectively. The use of polyhistidine tags facilitates endolysin purification and alters antimicrobial activity. Outer membrane permeabilizers, such as organic acids, act synergistically with endolysins, but some endolysins permeate the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria per se. However, the outer membrane permeation mechanisms of endolysins remain unclear. Other strategies, such as the co-administration of endolysins with polymyxins, silver nanoparticles, and liposomes confer additional outer membrane permeation. Engineered endolysins comprising domains for outer membrane permeation is also a strategy used to overcome the current challenges on the control of multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria. Metagenomics is a new strategy for screening endolysins with interesting antimicrobial properties from uncultured phage genomes. Here, we review the current state of the art on the heterologous expression of endolysin, showing the potential of bacteriophage endolysins in controlling bacterial infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Túlio Pardini Gontijo
- Departamento de Genética, Evolução, Microbiologia e Imunologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Rua Monteiro Lobato 255, Campinas 13083-862, Brazil; (G.P.J.); (M.B.)
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Design, Overproduction and Purification of the Chimeric Phage Lysin MLTphg Fighting against Staphylococcus aureus. Processes (Basel) 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/pr8121587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
With the increasing spread of multidrug-resistant bacterial pathogens, it is of great importance to develop alternatives to conventional antibiotics. Here, we report the generation of a chimeric phage lysin, MLTphg, which was assembled by joining the lysins derived from Meiothermus bacteriophage MMP7 and Thermus bacteriophage TSP4 with a flexible linker via chimeolysin engineering. As a potential antimicrobial agent, MLTphg can be obtained by overproduction in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) cells and the following Ni-affinity chromatography. Finally, we recovered about 40 ± 1.9 mg of MLTphg from 1 L of the host E. coli BL21(DE3) culture. The purified MLTphg showed peak activity against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC6538 between 35 and 40 °C, and maintained approximately 44.5 ± 2.1% activity at room temperature (25 °C). Moreover, as a produced chimera, it exhibited considerably improved bactericidal activity against Staphylococcus aureus (2.9 ± 0.1 log10 reduction was observed upon 40 nM MLTphg treatment at 37 °C for 30 min) and also a group of antibiotic-resistant bacteria compared to its parental lysins, TSPphg and MMPphg. In the current age of growing antibiotic resistance, our results provide an engineering basis for developing phage lysins as novel antimicrobial agents and shed light on bacteriophage-based strategies to tackle bacterial infections.
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