1
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Geng Y, Nguyen TVP, Homaee E, Golding I. Using bacterial population dynamics to count phages and their lysogens. Nat Commun 2024; 15:7814. [PMID: 39242585 PMCID: PMC11379933 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-51913-6] [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: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/20/2024] [Indexed: 09/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Traditional assays for counting bacteriophages and their lysogens are labor-intensive and perturbative to the host cells. Here, we present a high-throughput infection method in a microplate reader, where the growth dynamics of the infected culture is measured using the optical density (OD). We find that the OD at which the culture lyses scales linearly with the logarithm of the initial phage concentration, providing a way of measuring phage numbers over nine orders of magnitude and down to single-phage sensitivity. Interpreting the measured dynamics using a mathematical model allows us to infer the phage growth rate, which is a function of the phage-cell encounter rate, latent period, and burst size. Adding antibiotic selection provides the ability to measure the rate of host lysogenization. Using this method, we found that when E. coli growth slows down, the lytic growth rate of lambda phages decreases, and the propensity for lysogeny increases, demonstrating how host physiology influences the viral developmental program.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuncong Geng
- Department of Physics, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
- Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Thu Vu Phuc Nguyen
- Department of Physics, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA
| | - Ehsan Homaee
- Department of Physics, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
- Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Ido Golding
- Department of Physics, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
- Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
- Department of Microbiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
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2
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Fernández‐García L, Kirigo J, Huelgas‐Méndez D, Benedik MJ, Tomás M, García‐Contreras R, Wood TK. Phages produce persisters. Microb Biotechnol 2024; 17:e14543. [PMID: 39096350 PMCID: PMC11297538 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.14543] [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: 05/15/2024] [Accepted: 07/22/2024] [Indexed: 08/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Arguably, the greatest threat to bacteria is phages. It is often assumed that those bacteria that escape phage infection have mutated or utilized phage-defence systems; however, another possibility is that a subpopulation forms the dormant persister state in a manner similar to that demonstrated for bacterial cells undergoing nutritive, oxidative, and antibiotic stress. Persister cells do not undergo mutation and survive lethal conditions by ceasing growth transiently. Slower growth and dormancy play a key physiological role as they allow host phage defence systems more time to clear the phage infection. Here, we investigated how bacteria survive lytic phage infection by isolating surviving cells from the plaques of T2, T4, and lambda (cI mutant) virulent phages and sequencing their genomes. We found that bacteria in plaques can escape phage attack both by mutation (i.e. become resistant) and without mutation (i.e. become persistent). Specifically, whereas T4-resistant and lambda-resistant bacteria with over a 100,000-fold less sensitivity were isolated from plaques with obvious genetic mutations (e.g. causing mucoidy), cells were also found after T2 infection that undergo no significant mutation, retain wild-type phage sensitivity, and survive lethal doses of antibiotics. Corroborating this, adding T2 phage to persister cells resulted in 137,000-fold more survival compared to that of addition to exponentially growing cells. Furthermore, our results seem general in that phage treatments with Klebsiella pneumonia and Pseudomonas aeruginosa also generated persister cells. Hence, along with resistant strains, bacteria also form persister cells during phage infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Fernández‐García
- Department of Chemical EngineeringPennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPennsylvaniaUSA
- 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 CoruñaSpain
| | - Joy Kirigo
- Department of Chemical EngineeringPennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Daniel Huelgas‐Méndez
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of MedicineNational Autonomous University of MexicoMexico CityMexico
| | | | - 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 CoruñaSpain
| | - Rodolfo García‐Contreras
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of MedicineNational Autonomous University of MexicoMexico CityMexico
| | - Thomas K. Wood
- Department of Chemical EngineeringPennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPennsylvaniaUSA
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3
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Sanchez-Torres V, Kirigo J, Wood TK. Implications of lytic phage infections inducing persistence. Curr Opin Microbiol 2024; 79:102482. [PMID: 38714140 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2024.102482] [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: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/09/2024]
Abstract
Phage therapy holds much promise as an alternative to antibiotics for fighting infection. However, this approach is no panacea as recent results show that a small fraction of cells survives lytic phage infection due to both dormancy (i.e. formation of persister cells) and resistance (genetic change). In this brief review, we summarize evidence suggesting phages induce the persister state. Therefore, it is predicted that phage cocktails should be combined with antipersister compounds to eradicate bacterial infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viviana Sanchez-Torres
- Escuela de Ingeniería Química, Universidad Industrial de Santander, Bucaramanga, Colombia
| | - Joy Kirigo
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Thomas K Wood
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
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4
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Maffei E, Woischnig AK, Burkolter MR, Heyer Y, Humolli D, Thürkauf N, Bock T, Schmidt A, Manfredi P, Egli A, Khanna N, Jenal U, Harms A. Phage Paride can kill dormant, antibiotic-tolerant cells of Pseudomonas aeruginosa by direct lytic replication. Nat Commun 2024; 15:175. [PMID: 38168031 PMCID: PMC10761892 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44157-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophages are ubiquitous viral predators that have primarily been studied using fast-growing laboratory cultures of their bacterial hosts. However, microbial life in nature is mostly in a slow- or non-growing, dormant state. Here, we show that diverse phages can infect deep-dormant bacteria and suspend their replication until the host resuscitates ("hibernation"). However, a newly isolated Pseudomonas aeruginosa phage, named Paride, can directly replicate and induce the lysis of deep-dormant hosts. While non-growing bacteria are notoriously tolerant to antibiotic drugs, the combination with Paride enables the carbapenem meropenem to eradicate deep-dormant cultures in vitro and to reduce a resilient bacterial infection of a tissue cage implant in mice. Our work might inspire new treatments for persistent bacterial infections and, more broadly, highlights two viral strategies to infect dormant bacteria (hibernation and direct replication) that will guide future studies on phage-host interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enea Maffei
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, D-HEST, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Anne-Kathrin Woischnig
- Laboratory of Infection Biology, Department of Biomedicine, University and University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Marco R Burkolter
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, D-HEST, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Yannik Heyer
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Dorentina Humolli
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, D-HEST, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Thomas Bock
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Adrian Egli
- Division of Clinical Bacteriology and Mycology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Applied Microbiology Research, Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University and University Hospital of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Nina Khanna
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, D-HEST, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Laboratory of Infection Biology, Department of Biomedicine, University and University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Urs Jenal
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Alexander Harms
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, D-HEST, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
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5
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Aframian N, Eldar A. Abortive infection antiphage defense systems: separating mechanism and phenotype. Trends Microbiol 2023; 31:1003-1012. [PMID: 37268559 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2023.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Bacteria have evolved a wide array of mechanisms that allow them to eliminate phage infection. 'Abortive infection' (abi) systems are an expanding category of such mechanisms, defined as those which induce programmed cell death (or dormancy) upon infection, and thus halt phage propagation within a bacterial population. This definition entails two requirements - a phenotypic observation (cell death upon infection), and a mechanistic determination of its sources (system-induced death). The phenotypic and mechanistic aspects of abi are often implicitly assumed to be tightly linked, and studies regularly tend to establish one and deduce the other. However, recent evidence points to a complicated relationship between the mechanism of defense and the phenotype observed upon infection. We argue that rather than viewing the abi phenotype as an inherent quality of a set of defense systems, it should be more appropriately thought of as an attribute of interactions between specific phages and bacteria under given conditions. Consequently, we also point to potential pitfalls in the prevailing methods for ascertaining the abi phenotype. Overall, we propose an alternative framework for parsing interactions between attacking phages and defending bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nitzan Aframian
- Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, 69978, Israel
| | - Avigdor Eldar
- Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, 69978, Israel.
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6
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Attrill EL, Łapińska U, Westra ER, Harding SV, Pagliara S. Slow growing bacteria survive bacteriophage in isolation. ISME COMMUNICATIONS 2023; 3:95. [PMID: 37684358 PMCID: PMC10491631 DOI: 10.1038/s43705-023-00299-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023]
Abstract
The interactions between bacteria and bacteriophage have important roles in the global ecosystem; in turn changes in environmental parameters affect the interactions between bacteria and phage. However, there is a lack of knowledge on whether clonal bacterial populations harbour different phenotypes that respond to phage in distinct ways and whether the abundance of such phenotypes within bacterial populations is affected by variations in environmental parameters. Here we study the impact of variations in nutrient availability, bacterial growth rate and phage abundance on the interactions between the phage T4 and individual Escherichia coli cells confined in spatial refuges. Surprisingly, we found that fast growing bacteria survive together with all of their clonal kin cells, whereas slow growing bacteria survive in isolation. We also discovered that the number of bacteria that survive in isolation decreases at increasing phage doses possibly due to lysis inhibition in the presence of secondary adsorptions. We further show that these changes in the phenotypic composition of the E. coli population have important consequences on the bacterial and phage population dynamics and should therefore be considered when investigating bacteria-phage interactions in ecological, health or food production settings in structured environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin L Attrill
- Living Systems Institute and Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Urszula Łapińska
- Living Systems Institute and Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Edze R Westra
- Environment and Sustainability Institute and Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Sarah V Harding
- Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, Salisbury, UK
- Department of Respiratory Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Stefano Pagliara
- Living Systems Institute and Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.
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7
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Schwartz DA, Shoemaker WR, Măgălie A, Weitz JS, Lennon JT. Bacteria-phage coevolution with a seed bank. THE ISME JOURNAL 2023:10.1038/s41396-023-01449-2. [PMID: 37286738 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-023-01449-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Dormancy is an adaptation to living in fluctuating environments. It allows individuals to enter a reversible state of reduced metabolic activity when challenged by unfavorable conditions. Dormancy can also influence species interactions by providing organisms with a refuge from predators and parasites. Here we test the hypothesis that, by generating a seed bank of protected individuals, dormancy can modify the patterns and processes of antagonistic coevolution. We conducted a factorially designed experiment where we passaged a bacterial host (Bacillus subtilis) and its phage (SPO1) in the presence versus absence of a seed bank consisting of dormant endospores. Owing in part to the inability of phages to attach to spores, seed banks stabilized population dynamics and resulted in minimum host densities that were 30-fold higher compared to bacteria that were unable to engage in dormancy. By supplying a refuge to phage-sensitive strains, we show that seed banks retained phenotypic diversity that was otherwise lost to selection. Dormancy also stored genetic diversity. After characterizing allelic variation with pooled population sequencing, we found that seed banks retained twice as many host genes with mutations, whether phages were present or not. Based on mutational trajectories over the course of the experiment, we demonstrate that seed banks can dampen bacteria-phage coevolution. Not only does dormancy create structure and memory that buffers populations against environmental fluctuations, it also modifies species interactions in ways that can feed back onto the eco-evolutionary dynamics of microbial communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel A Schwartz
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, IN, USA
| | - William R Shoemaker
- The Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), Trieste, Italy
| | - Andreea Măgălie
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Quantitative Biosciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Joshua S Weitz
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
- School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Institut de Biologie, École Normale Supérieure, Paris, France
| | - Jay T Lennon
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, IN, USA.
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8
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Trotta KL, Hayes BM, Schneider JP, Wang J, Todor H, Rockefeller Grimes P, Zhao Z, Hatleberg WL, Silvis MR, Kim R, Koo BM, Basler M, Chou S. Lipopolysaccharide transport regulates bacterial sensitivity to a cell wall-degrading intermicrobial toxin. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011454. [PMID: 37363922 PMCID: PMC10328246 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011454] [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: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Gram-negative bacteria can antagonize neighboring microbes using a type VI secretion system (T6SS) to deliver toxins that target different essential cellular features. Despite the conserved nature of these targets, T6SS potency can vary across recipient species. To understand the functional basis of intrinsic T6SS susceptibility, we screened for essential Escherichia coli (Eco) genes that affect its survival when antagonized by a cell wall-degrading T6SS toxin from Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Tae1. We revealed genes associated with both the cell wall and a separate layer of the cell envelope, lipopolysaccharide, that modulate Tae1 toxicity in vivo. Disruption of genes in early lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis provided Eco with novel resistance to Tae1, despite significant cell wall degradation. These data suggest that Tae1 toxicity is determined not only by direct substrate damage, but also by indirect cell envelope homeostasis activities. We also found that Tae1-resistant Eco exhibited reduced cell wall synthesis and overall slowed growth, suggesting that reactive cell envelope maintenance pathways could promote, not prevent, self-lysis. Together, our study reveals the complex functional underpinnings of susceptibility to Tae1 and T6SS which regulate the impact of toxin-substrate interactions in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristine L. Trotta
- Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, University of California–San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Beth M. Hayes
- Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, University of California–San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | | | - Jing Wang
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Horia Todor
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California–San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Patrick Rockefeller Grimes
- Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, University of California–San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Ziyi Zhao
- Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, University of California–San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | | | - Melanie R. Silvis
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California–San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Rachel Kim
- Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, University of California–San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Byoung Mo Koo
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California–San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Marek Basler
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Seemay Chou
- Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, University of California–San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
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9
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Trotta KL, Hayes BM, Schneider JP, Wang J, Todor H, Grimes PR, Zhao Z, Hatleberg WL, Silvis MR, Kim R, Koo BM, Basler M, Chou S. Lipopolysaccharide integrity primes bacterial sensitivity to a cell wall-degrading intermicrobial toxin. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.20.524922. [PMID: 36747731 PMCID: PMC9900751 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.20.524922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Gram-negative bacteria can antagonize neighboring microbes using a type VI secretion system (T6SS) to deliver toxins that target different essential cellular features. Despite the conserved nature of these targets, T6SS potency can vary across recipient species. To understand the molecular basis of intrinsic T6SS susceptibility, we screened for essential Escherichia coli genes that affect its survival when antagonized by a cell wall-degrading T6SS toxin from Pseudomonas aeruginosa , Tae1. We revealed genes associated with both the cell wall and a separate layer of the cell envelope, surface lipopolysaccharide, that modulate Tae1 toxicity in vivo . Disruption of lipopolysaccharide synthesis provided Escherichia coli (Eco) with novel resistance to Tae1, despite significant cell wall degradation. These data suggest that Tae1 toxicity is determined not only by direct substrate damage, but also by indirect cell envelope homeostasis activities. We also found that Tae1-resistant Eco exhibited reduced cell wall synthesis and overall slowed growth, suggesting that reactive cell envelope maintenance pathways could promote, not prevent, self-lysis. Together, our study highlights the consequences of co-regulating essential pathways on recipient fitness during interbacterial competition, and how antibacterial toxins leverage cellular vulnerabilities that are both direct and indirect to their specific targets in vivo .
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristine L Trotta
- Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, University of California – San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Beth M Hayes
- Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, University of California – San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Johannes P Schneider
- Focal Area Infection Biology, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 50/70, CH - 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jing Wang
- Focal Area Infection Biology, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 50/70, CH - 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Horia Todor
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California – San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Patrick Rockefeller Grimes
- Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, University of California – San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Ziyi Zhao
- Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, University of California – San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | - Melanie R Silvis
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California – San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Rachel Kim
- Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, University of California – San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Byoung Mo Koo
- Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, University of California – San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Marek Basler
- Focal Area Infection Biology, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 50/70, CH - 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Seemay Chou
- Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, University of California – San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
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10
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Abedon ST. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology of Hindering Phage Therapy: The Phage Tolerance vs. Phage Resistance of Bacterial Biofilms. Antibiotics (Basel) 2023; 12:245. [PMID: 36830158 PMCID: PMC9952518 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics12020245] [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: 12/31/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
As with antibiotics, we can differentiate various acquired mechanisms of bacteria-mediated inhibition of the action of bacterial viruses (phages or bacteriophages) into ones of tolerance vs. resistance. These also, respectively, may be distinguished as physiological insensitivities (or protections) vs. resistance mutations, phenotypic resistance vs. genotypic resistance, temporary vs. more permanent mechanisms, and ecologically vs. also near-term evolutionarily motivated functions. These phenomena can result from multiple distinct molecular mechanisms, many of which for bacterial tolerance of phages are associated with bacterial biofilms (as is also the case for the bacterial tolerance of antibiotics). The resulting inhibitions are relevant from an applied perspective because of their potential to thwart phage-based treatments of bacterial infections, i.e., phage therapies, as well as their potential to interfere more generally with approaches to the phage-based biological control of bacterial biofilms. In other words, given the generally low toxicity of properly chosen therapeutic phages, it is a combination of phage tolerance and phage resistance, as displayed by targeted bacteria, that seems to represent the greatest impediments to phage therapy's success. Here I explore general concepts of bacterial tolerance of vs. bacterial resistance to phages, particularly as they may be considered in association with bacterial biofilms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen T Abedon
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Mansfield, OH 44906, USA
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11
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Visnapuu A, Van der Gucht M, Wagemans J, Lavigne R. Deconstructing the Phage-Bacterial Biofilm Interaction as a Basis to Establish New Antibiofilm Strategies. Viruses 2022; 14:v14051057. [PMID: 35632801 PMCID: PMC9145820 DOI: 10.3390/v14051057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The bacterial biofilm constitutes a complex environment that endows the bacterial community within with an ability to cope with biotic and abiotic stresses. Considering the interaction with bacterial viruses, these biofilms contain intrinsic defense mechanisms that protect against phage predation; these mechanisms are driven by physical, structural, and metabolic properties or governed by environment-induced mutations and bacterial diversity. In this regard, horizontal gene transfer can also be a driver of biofilm diversity and some (pro)phages can function as temporary allies in biofilm development. Conversely, as bacterial predators, phages have developed counter mechanisms to overcome the biofilm barrier. We highlight how these natural systems have previously inspired new antibiofilm design strategies, e.g., by utilizing exopolysaccharide degrading enzymes and peptidoglycan hydrolases. Next, we propose new potential approaches including phage-encoded DNases to target extracellular DNA, as well as phage-mediated inhibitors of cellular communication; these examples illustrate the relevance and importance of research aiming to elucidate novel antibiofilm mechanisms contained within the vast set of unknown ORFs from phages.
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12
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Singh A, Padmesh S, Dwivedi M, Kostova I. How Good are Bacteriophages as an Alternative Therapy to Mitigate Biofilms of Nosocomial Infections. Infect Drug Resist 2022; 15:503-532. [PMID: 35210792 PMCID: PMC8860455 DOI: 10.2147/idr.s348700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteria survive on any surface through the generation of biofilms that provide a protective environment to grow as well as making them drug resistant. Extracellular polymeric matrix is a crucial component in biofilm formation. The presence of biofilms consisting of common opportunistic and nosocomial, drug-resistant pathogens has been reported on medical devices like catheters and prosthetics, leading to many complications. Several approaches are under investigation to combat drug-resistant bacteria. Deployment of bacteriophages is one of the promising approaches to invade biofilm that may expose bacteria to the conditions adverse for their growth. Penetration into these biofilms and their destruction by bacteriophages is brought about due to their small size and ability of their progeny to diffuse through the bacterial cell wall. The other mechanisms employed by phages to infect biofilms may include their relocation through water channels to embedded host cells, replication at local sites followed by infection to the neighboring cells and production of depolymerizing enzymes to decompose viscous biofilm matrix, etc. Various research groups are investigating intricacies involved in phage therapy to mitigate the bacterial infection and biofilm formation. Thus, bacteriophages represent a good control over different biofilms and further understanding of phage-biofilm interaction at molecular level may overcome the clinical challenges in phage therapy. The present review summarizes the comprehensive details on dynamic interaction of phages with bacterial biofilms and the role of phage-derived enzymes - endolysin and depolymerases in extenuating biofilms of clinical and medical concern. The methodology employed was an extensive literature search, using several keywords in important scientific databases, such as Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, ScienceDirect, etc. The keywords were also used with Boolean operator "And". More than 250 relevant and recent articles were selected and reviewed to discuss the evidence-based data on the application of phage therapy with recent updates, and related potential challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aditi Singh
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow Campus, Lucknow, 226028, India
| | - Sudhakar Padmesh
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow Campus, Lucknow, 226028, India
| | - Manish Dwivedi
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow Campus, Lucknow, 226028, India
| | - Irena Kostova
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University, Sofia, 1000, Bulgaria
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13
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Bugs on Drugs: A Drosophila melanogaster Gut Model to Study In Vivo Antibiotic Tolerance of E. coli. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10010119. [PMID: 35056568 PMCID: PMC8780219 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10010119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
With an antibiotic crisis upon us, we need to boost antibiotic development and improve antibiotics’ efficacy. Crucial is knowing how to efficiently kill bacteria, especially in more complex in vivo conditions. Indeed, many bacteria harbor antibiotic-tolerant persisters, variants that survive exposure to our most potent antibiotics and catalyze resistance development. However, persistence is often only studied in vitro as we lack flexible in vivo models. Here, I explored the potential of using Drosophila melanogaster as a model for antimicrobial research, combining methods in Drosophila with microbiology techniques: assessing fly development and feeding, generating germ-free or bacteria-associated Drosophila and in situ microscopy. Adult flies tolerate antibiotics at high doses, although germ-free larvae show impaired development. Orally presented E. coli associates with Drosophila and mostly resides in the crop. E. coli shows an overall high antibiotic tolerance in vivo potentially resulting from heterogeneity in growth rates. The hipA7 high-persistence mutant displays an increased antibiotic survival while the expected low persistence of ΔrelAΔspoT and ΔrpoS mutants cannot be confirmed in vivo. In conclusion, a Drosophila model for in vivo antibiotic tolerance research shows high potential and offers a flexible system to test findings from in vitro assays in a broader, more complex condition.
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14
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Verstraete L, Van den Bergh B, Verstraeten N, Michiels J. Ecology and evolution of antibiotic persistence. Trends Microbiol 2021; 30:466-479. [PMID: 34753652 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2021.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2021] [Revised: 10/03/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Bacteria have at their disposal a battery of strategies to withstand antibiotic stress. Among these, resistance is a well-known mechanism, yet bacteria can also survive antibiotic attack by adopting a tolerant phenotype. In the case of persistence, only a small fraction within an isogenic population switches to this antibiotic-tolerant state. Persistence depends on the ecological niche and the genetic background of the strains involved. Furthermore, it has been shown to be under direct and indirect evolutionary pressure. Persister cells play a role in chronic infections and the development of resistance, and therefore a better understanding of this phenotype could contribute to the development of effective antibacterial therapies. In the current review, we discuss how ecological and evolutionary forces shape persistence.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Verstraete
- Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Center for Microbiology, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology, Leuven, Belgium
| | - B Van den Bergh
- Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Center for Microbiology, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology, Leuven, Belgium
| | - N Verstraeten
- Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Center for Microbiology, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology, Leuven, Belgium
| | - J Michiels
- Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Center for Microbiology, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology, Leuven, Belgium.
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15
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Attrill EL, Claydon R, Łapińska U, Recker M, Meaden S, Brown AT, Westra ER, Harding SV, Pagliara S. Individual bacteria in structured environments rely on phenotypic resistance to phage. PLoS Biol 2021; 19:e3001406. [PMID: 34637438 PMCID: PMC8509860 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophages represent an avenue to overcome the current antibiotic resistance crisis, but evolution of genetic resistance to phages remains a concern. In vitro, bacteria evolve genetic resistance, preventing phage adsorption or degrading phage DNA. In natural environments, evolved resistance is lower possibly because the spatial heterogeneity within biofilms, microcolonies, or wall populations favours phenotypic survival to lytic phages. However, it is also possible that the persistence of genetically sensitive bacteria is due to less efficient phage amplification in natural environments, the existence of refuges where bacteria can hide, and a reduced spread of resistant genotypes. Here, we monitor the interactions between individual planktonic bacteria in isolation in ephemeral refuges and bacteriophage by tracking the survival of individual cells. We find that in these transient spatial refuges, phenotypic resistance due to reduced expression of the phage receptor is a key determinant of bacterial survival. This survival strategy is in contrast with the emergence of genetic resistance in the absence of ephemeral refuges in well-mixed environments. Predictions generated via a mathematical modelling framework to track bacterial response to phages reveal that the presence of spatial refuges leads to fundamentally different population dynamics that should be considered in order to predict and manipulate the evolutionary and ecological dynamics of bacteria–phage interactions in naturally structured environments. Bacteriophages represent a promising avenue to overcome the current antibiotic resistance crisis, but evolution of phage resistance remains a concern. This study shows that in the presence of spatial refuges, genetic resistance to phage is less of a problem than commonly assumed, but the persistence of genetically susceptible bacteria suggests that eradicating bacterial pathogens from structured environments may require combined phage-antibiotic therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin L. Attrill
- Living Systems Institute and Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Rory Claydon
- SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Urszula Łapińska
- Living Systems Institute and Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Mario Recker
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, United Kingdom
| | - Sean Meaden
- Environment and Sustainability Institute and Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, United Kingdom
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Aidan T. Brown
- SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Edze R. Westra
- Environment and Sustainability Institute and Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah V. Harding
- Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, Salisbury, United Kingdom
| | - Stefano Pagliara
- Living Systems Institute and Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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16
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Hao N, Agnew D, Krishna S, Dodd IB, Shearwin KE. Analysis of Infection Time Courses Shows CII Levels Determine the Frequency of Lysogeny in Phage 186. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2021; 14:ph14100998. [PMID: 34681220 PMCID: PMC8538670 DOI: 10.3390/ph14100998] [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] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Revised: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Engineered phage with properties optimised for the treatment of bacterial infections hold great promise, but require careful characterisation by a number of approaches. Phage–bacteria infection time courses, where populations of bacteriophage and bacteria are mixed and followed over many infection cycles, can be used to deduce properties of phage infection at the individual cell level. Here, we apply this approach to analysis of infection of Escherichia coli by the temperate bacteriophage 186 and explore which properties of the infection process can be reliably inferred. By applying established modelling methods to such data, we extract the frequency at which phage 186 chooses the lysogenic pathway after infection, and show that lysogenisation increases in a graded manner with increased expression of the lysogenic establishment factor CII. The data also suggest that, like phage λ, the rate of lysogeny of phage 186 increases with multiple infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Hao
- Department of Molecular and Biomedical Science, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia; (N.H.); (D.A.); (I.B.D.)
- CSIRO Synthetic Biology Future Science Platform, CSIRO, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Dylan Agnew
- Department of Molecular and Biomedical Science, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia; (N.H.); (D.A.); (I.B.D.)
| | - Sandeep Krishna
- Simons Centre for the Study of Living Machines, National Centre for Biological Sciences TIFR, GKVK Campus, Bellary Road, Bangalore 560065, India;
| | - Ian B. Dodd
- Department of Molecular and Biomedical Science, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia; (N.H.); (D.A.); (I.B.D.)
| | - Keith E. Shearwin
- Department of Molecular and Biomedical Science, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia; (N.H.); (D.A.); (I.B.D.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +61-8-83135361
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17
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Chevallereau A, Pons BJ, van Houte S, Westra ER. Interactions between bacterial and phage communities in natural environments. Nat Rev Microbiol 2021; 20:49-62. [PMID: 34373631 DOI: 10.1038/s41579-021-00602-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 176] [Impact Index Per Article: 58.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
We commonly acknowledge that bacterial viruses (phages) shape the composition and evolution of bacterial communities in nature and therefore have important roles in ecosystem functioning. This view stems from studies in the 1990s to the first decade of the twenty-first century that revealed high viral abundance, high viral diversity and virus-induced microbial death in aquatic ecosystems as well as an association between collapses in bacterial density and peaks in phage abundance. The recent surge in metagenomic analyses has provided deeper insight into the abundance, genomic diversity and spatio-temporal dynamics of phages in a wide variety of ecosystems, ranging from deep oceans to soil and the mammalian digestive tract. However, the causes and consequences of variations in phage community compositions remain poorly understood. In this Review, we explore current knowledge of the composition and evolution of phage communities, as well as their roles in controlling the population and evolutionary dynamics of bacterial communities. We discuss the need for greater ecological realism in laboratory studies to capture the complexity of microbial communities that thrive in natural environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Chevallereau
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK. .,Department of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, Institut Cochin, INSERM U1016, CNRS UMR8104, Université de Paris, Paris, France.
| | - Benoît J Pons
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Stineke van Houte
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Edze R Westra
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK.
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18
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Abstract
Introduction: As a result of progress in medical care, a huge number of medical devices are used in the treatment of human diseases. In turn, biofilm-related infection has become a growing threat due to the tolerance of biofilms to antimicrobials, a problem magnified by the development of antimicrobial resistance worldwide. As a result, successful treatment of biofilm-disease using only antimicrobials is problematic.Areas covered: We summarize some alternative approaches to classic antimicrobials for the treatment of biofilm disease. This review is not intended to be exhaustive but to give a clinical picture of alternatives to antimicrobial agents to manage biofilm disease. We highlight those strategies that may be closer to application in clinical practice.Expert opinion: There are a number of outstanding challenges in the development of novel antibiofilm therapies. Screening for effective antibiofilm compounds requires models relevant to all clinical scenarios. Although in vitro research of anti-biofilm strategies has progressed significantly over the past decade, there is a lack of in vivo research. In addition, the complexity of biofilm biology makes it difficult to develop a compound that is likely to provide the single 'magic bullet'. The multifaceted nature of biofilms imposes the need for multi-targeted or combinatorial therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose L Del Pozo
- Infectious Diseases Division, Clínica Universidad De Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,Department of Microbiology, Clínica Universidad De Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,Laboratory of Microbial Biofilms, Clínica Universidad De Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
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19
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Pires DP, Costa AR, Pinto G, Meneses L, Azeredo J. Current challenges and future opportunities of phage therapy. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2021; 44:684-700. [PMID: 32472938 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuaa017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 131] [Impact Index Per Article: 43.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2020] [Accepted: 05/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance is a major public health challenge worldwide, whose implications for global health might be devastating if novel antibacterial strategies are not quickly developed. As natural predators of bacteria, (bacterio)phages may play an essential role in escaping such a dreadful future. The rising problem of antibiotic resistance has revived the interest in phage therapy and important developments have been achieved over the last years. But where do we stand today and what can we expect from phage therapy in the future? This is the question we set to answer in this review. Here, we scour the outcomes of human phage therapy clinical trials and case reports, and address the major barriers that stand in the way of using phages in clinical settings. We particularly address the potential of phage resistance to hinder phage therapy and discuss future avenues to explore the full capacity of phage therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana P Pires
- CEB - Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal
| | - Ana Rita Costa
- Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ, Delft, Netherlands
| | - Graça Pinto
- CEB - Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal
| | - Luciana Meneses
- CEB - Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal
| | - Joana Azeredo
- CEB - Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal
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20
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Oliveira VC, Macedo AP, Melo LDR, Santos SB, Hermann PRS, Silva-Lovato CH, Paranhos HFO, Andrade D, Watanabe E. Bacteriophage Cocktail-Mediated Inhibition of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilm on Endotracheal Tube Surface. Antibiotics (Basel) 2021; 10:78. [PMID: 33467548 PMCID: PMC7830274 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics10010078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Revised: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Although different strategies to control biofilm formation on endotracheal tubes have been proposed, there are scarce scientific data on applying phages for both removing and preventing Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms on the device surface. Here, the anti-biofilm capacity of five bacteriophages was evaluated by a high content screening assay. We observed that biofilms were significantly reduced after phage treatment, especially in multidrug-resistant strains. Considering the anti-biofilm screens, two phages were selected as cocktail components, and the cocktail's ability to prevent colonization of the endotracheal tube surface was tested in a dynamic biofilm model. Phage-coated tubes were challenged with different P. aeruginosa strains. The biofilm growth was monitored from 24 to 168 h by colony forming unit counting, metabolic activity assessment, and biofilm morphology observation. The phage cocktail promoted differences of bacterial colonization; nonetheless, the action was strain dependent. Phage cocktail coating did not promote substantial changes in metabolic activity. Scanning electron microscopy revealed a higher concentration of biofilm cells in control, while tower-like structures could be observed on phage cocktail-coated tubes. These results demonstrate that with the development of new coating strategies, phage therapy has potential in controlling the endotracheal tube-associated biofilm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viviane C. Oliveira
- Human Exposome and Infectious Diseases Network—HEID, School of Nursing of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Bandeirantes Avenue 3900, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo 14040-904, Brazil; (V.C.O.); (P.R.S.H.); (D.A.)
- Department of Dental Materials and Prostheses, School of Dentistry of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Café Avenue S/N, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo 14040-904, Brazil; (A.P.M.); (C.H.S.-L.); (H.F.O.P.)
| | - Ana P. Macedo
- Department of Dental Materials and Prostheses, School of Dentistry of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Café Avenue S/N, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo 14040-904, Brazil; (A.P.M.); (C.H.S.-L.); (H.F.O.P.)
| | - Luís D. R. Melo
- Centre of Biological Engineering—CEB, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal; (L.D.R.M.); (S.B.S.)
| | - Sílvio B. Santos
- Centre of Biological Engineering—CEB, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal; (L.D.R.M.); (S.B.S.)
| | - Paula R. S. Hermann
- Human Exposome and Infectious Diseases Network—HEID, School of Nursing of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Bandeirantes Avenue 3900, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo 14040-904, Brazil; (V.C.O.); (P.R.S.H.); (D.A.)
- Department of Nursing, University of Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brasília 72220-275, Brazil
| | - Cláudia H. Silva-Lovato
- Department of Dental Materials and Prostheses, School of Dentistry of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Café Avenue S/N, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo 14040-904, Brazil; (A.P.M.); (C.H.S.-L.); (H.F.O.P.)
| | - Helena F. O. Paranhos
- Department of Dental Materials and Prostheses, School of Dentistry of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Café Avenue S/N, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo 14040-904, Brazil; (A.P.M.); (C.H.S.-L.); (H.F.O.P.)
| | - Denise Andrade
- Human Exposome and Infectious Diseases Network—HEID, School of Nursing of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Bandeirantes Avenue 3900, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo 14040-904, Brazil; (V.C.O.); (P.R.S.H.); (D.A.)
| | - Evandro Watanabe
- Human Exposome and Infectious Diseases Network—HEID, School of Nursing of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Bandeirantes Avenue 3900, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo 14040-904, Brazil; (V.C.O.); (P.R.S.H.); (D.A.)
- Department of Restorative Dentistry, School of Dentistry of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Café Avenue S/N, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo 14040-904, Brazil
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21
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The Union Is Strength: The Synergic Action of Long Fatty Acids and a Bacteriophage against Xanthomonas campestris Biofilm. Microorganisms 2020; 9:microorganisms9010060. [PMID: 33379305 PMCID: PMC7824728 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9010060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Revised: 12/19/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris is known as the causative agent of black rot disease, which attacks mainly crucifers, severely lowering their global productivity. One of the main virulence factors of this pathogen is its capability to penetrate and form biofilm structures in the xylem vessels. The discovery of novel approaches to crop disease management is urgent and a possible treatment could be aimed at the eradication of biofilm, although anti-biofilm approaches in agricultural microbiology are still rare. Considering the multifactorial nature of biofilm, an effective approach against Xanthomonas campestris implies the use of a multi-targeted or combinatorial strategy. In this paper, an anti-biofilm strategy based on the use of fatty acids and the bacteriophage (Xccφ1)-hydroxyapatite complex was optimized against Xanthomonas campestris mature biofilm. The synergic action of these elements was demonstrated and the efficient removal of Xanthomonas campestris mature biofilm was also proven in a flow cell system, making the proposed approach an effective solution to enhance plant survival in Xanthomonas campestris infections. Moreover, the molecular mechanisms responsible for the efficacy of the proposed treatment were explored.
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22
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Moreno-del Álamo M, Marchisone C, Alonso JC. Antitoxin ε Reverses Toxin ζ-Facilitated Ampicillin Dormants. Toxins (Basel) 2020; 12:toxins12120801. [PMID: 33333975 PMCID: PMC7765365 DOI: 10.3390/toxins12120801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2020] [Revised: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxin-antitoxin (TA) modules are ubiquitous in bacteria, but their biological importance in stress adaptation remains a matter of debate. The inactive ζ-ε2-ζ TA complex is composed of one labile ε2 antitoxin dimer flanked by two stable ζ toxin monomers. Free toxin ζ reduces the ATP and GTP levels, increases the (p)ppGpp and c-di-AMP pool, inactivates a fraction of uridine diphosphate-N-acetylglucosamine, and induces reversible dormancy. A small subpopulation, however, survives toxin action. Here, employing a genetic orthogonal control of ζ and ε levels, the fate of bacteriophage SPP1 infection was analyzed. Toxin ζ induces an active slow-growth state that halts SPP1 amplification, but it re-starts after antitoxin expression rather than promoting abortive infection. Toxin ζ-induced and toxin-facilitated ampicillin (Amp) dormants have been revisited. Transient toxin ζ expression causes a metabolic heterogeneity that induces toxin and Amp dormancy over a long window of time rather than cell persistence. Antitoxin ε expression, by reversing ζ activities, facilitates the exit of Amp-induced dormancy both in rec+ and recA cells. Our findings argue that an unexploited target to fight against antibiotic persistence is to disrupt toxin-antitoxin interactions.
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23
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Doub JB. Bacteriophage Therapy for Clinical Biofilm Infections: Parameters That Influence Treatment Protocols and Current Treatment Approaches. Antibiotics (Basel) 2020; 9:E799. [PMID: 33198058 PMCID: PMC7697957 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics9110799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 11/08/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Biofilm infections are extremely difficult to treat, which is secondary to the inability of conventional antibiotics to eradicate biofilms. Consequently, current definitive treatment of biofilm infections requires complete removal of the infected hardware. This causes significant morbidity and mortality to patients and therefore novel therapeutics are needed to cure these infections without removal of the infected hardware. Bacteriophages have intrinsic properties that could be advantageous in the treatment of clinical biofilm infections, but limited knowledge is known about the proper use of bacteriophage therapy in vivo. Currently titers and duration of bacteriophage therapy are the main parameters that are evaluated when devising bacteriophage protocols. Herein, several other important parameters are discussed which if standardized could allow for more effective and reproducible treatment protocols to be formulated. In addition, these parameters are correlated with the current clinical approaches being evaluated in the treatment of clinical biofilm infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- James B Doub
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
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24
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Alves-Barroco C, Rivas-García L, Fernandes AR, Baptista PV. Tackling Multidrug Resistance in Streptococci - From Novel Biotherapeutic Strategies to Nanomedicines. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:579916. [PMID: 33123110 PMCID: PMC7573253 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.579916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The pyogenic streptococci group includes pathogenic species for humans and other animals and has been associated with enduring morbidity and high mortality. The main reason for the treatment failure of streptococcal infections is the increased resistance to antibiotics. In recent years, infectious diseases caused by pyogenic streptococci resistant to multiple antibiotics have been raising with a significant impact to public health and veterinary industry. The rise of antibiotic-resistant streptococci has been associated to diverse mechanisms, such as efflux pumps and modifications of the antimicrobial target. Among streptococci, antibiotic resistance emerges from previously sensitive populations as result of horizontal gene transfer or chromosomal point mutations due to excessive use of antimicrobials. Streptococci strains are also recognized as biofilm producers. The increased resistance of biofilms to antibiotics among streptococci promote persistent infection, which comprise circa 80% of microbial infections in humans. Therefore, to overcome drug resistance, new strategies, including new antibacterial and antibiofilm agents, have been studied. Interestingly, the use of systems based on nanoparticles have been applied to tackle infection and reduce the emergence of drug resistance. Herein, we present a synopsis of mechanisms associated to drug resistance in (pyogenic) streptococci and discuss some innovative strategies as alternative to conventional antibiotics, such as bacteriocins, bacteriophage, and phage lysins, and metal nanoparticles. We shall provide focused discussion on the advantages and limitations of agents considering application, efficacy and safety in the context of impact to the host and evolution of bacterial resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cinthia Alves-Barroco
- UCIBIO, Departamento de Ciências da Vida, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Caparica, Portugal
| | - Lorenzo Rivas-García
- UCIBIO, Departamento de Ciências da Vida, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Caparica, Portugal.,Biomedical Research Centre, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Alexandra R Fernandes
- UCIBIO, Departamento de Ciências da Vida, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Caparica, Portugal
| | - Pedro Viana Baptista
- UCIBIO, Departamento de Ciências da Vida, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Caparica, Portugal
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25
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Evolutionary causes and consequences of bacterial antibiotic persistence. Nat Rev Microbiol 2020; 18:479-490. [PMID: 32461608 DOI: 10.1038/s41579-020-0378-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Antibiotic treatment failure is of growing concern. Genetically encoded resistance is key in driving this process. However, there is increasing evidence that bacterial antibiotic persistence, a non-genetically encoded and reversible loss of antibiotic susceptibility, contributes to treatment failure and emergence of resistant strains as well. In this Review, we discuss the evolutionary forces that may drive the selection for antibiotic persistence. We review how some aspects of antibiotic persistence have been directly selected for whereas others result from indirect selection in disparate ecological contexts. We then discuss the consequences of antibiotic persistence on pathogen evolution. Persisters can facilitate the evolution of antibiotic resistance and virulence. Finally, we propose practical means to prevent persister formation and how this may help to slow down the evolution of virulence and resistance in pathogens.
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26
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Vilk O, Assaf M. Extinction risk of a metapopulation under bistable local dynamics. Phys Rev E 2020; 101:012135. [PMID: 32069581 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.101.012135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
We study the extinction risk of a fragmented population residing on a network of patches coupled by migration, where the local patch dynamics includes deterministic bistability. Mixing between patches is shown to dramatically influence the population's viability. We demonstrate that slow migration always increases the population's global extinction risk compared to the isolated case, while at fast migration synchrony between patches minimizes the population's extinction risk. Moreover, we discover a critical migration rate that maximizes the extinction risk of the population, and identify an early-warning signal when approaching this state. Our theoretical results are confirmed via the highly efficient weighted ensemble method. Notably, our theoretical formalism can also be applied to studying switching in gene regulatory networks with multiple transcriptional states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ohad Vilk
- Racah Institute of Physics, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - Michael Assaf
- Racah Institute of Physics, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
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Windels EM, Ben Meriem Z, Zahir T, Verstrepen KJ, Hersen P, Van den Bergh B, Michiels J. Enrichment of persisters enabled by a ß-lactam-induced filamentation method reveals their stochastic single-cell awakening. Commun Biol 2019; 2:426. [PMID: 31815194 PMCID: PMC6884588 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-019-0672-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2019] [Accepted: 10/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
When exposed to lethal doses of antibiotics, bacterial populations are most often not completely eradicated. A small number of phenotypic variants, defined as 'persisters', are refractory to antibiotics and survive treatment. Despite their involvement in relapsing infections, processes determining phenotypic switches from and to the persister state largely remain elusive. This is mainly due to the low frequency of persisters and the lack of reliable persistence markers, both hampering studies of persistence at the single-cell level. Here we present a highly effective persister enrichment method involving cephalexin, an antibiotic that induces extensive filamentation of susceptible cells. We used our enrichment method to monitor outgrowth of Escherichia coli persisters at the single-cell level, thereby conclusively demonstrating that persister awakening is a stochastic phenomenon. We anticipate that our approach can have far-reaching consequences in the persistence field, by allowing single-cell studies at a much higher throughput than previously reported.
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Affiliation(s)
- Etthel M. Windels
- VIB Center for Microbiology, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology, Kasteelpark Arenberg 20 box 2460, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
- Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 20 box 2460, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Zacchari Ben Meriem
- Laboratoire Matière et Systèmes Complexes, Université Paris Diderot & CNRS UMR7057, Rue Alice Domon et Léonie Duquet 10, Paris, France
| | - Taiyeb Zahir
- VIB Center for Microbiology, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology, Kasteelpark Arenberg 20 box 2460, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
- Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 20 box 2460, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Kevin J. Verstrepen
- VIB Center for Microbiology, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology, Kasteelpark Arenberg 20 box 2460, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
- Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 20 box 2460, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Pascal Hersen
- Laboratoire Matière et Systèmes Complexes, Université Paris Diderot & CNRS UMR7057, Rue Alice Domon et Léonie Duquet 10, Paris, France
| | - Bram Van den Bergh
- VIB Center for Microbiology, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology, Kasteelpark Arenberg 20 box 2460, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
- Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 20 box 2460, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jan Michiels
- VIB Center for Microbiology, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology, Kasteelpark Arenberg 20 box 2460, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
- Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 20 box 2460, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
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28
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Testa S, Berger S, Piccardi P, Oechslin F, Resch G, Mitri S. Spatial structure affects phage efficacy in infecting dual-strain biofilms of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Commun Biol 2019; 2:405. [PMID: 31701033 PMCID: PMC6828766 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-019-0633-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2019] [Accepted: 09/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial viruses, or phage, are key members of natural microbial communities. Yet much research on bacterial-phage interactions has been conducted in liquid cultures involving single bacterial strains. Here we explored how bacterial diversity affects the success of lytic phage in structured communities. We infected a sensitive Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain PAO1 with a lytic phage Pseudomonas 352 in the presence versus absence of an insensitive P. aeruginosa strain PA14, in liquid culture versus colonies on agar. We found that both in liquid and in colonies, inter-strain competition reduced resistance evolution in the susceptible strain and decreased phage population size. However, while all sensitive bacteria died in liquid, bacteria in colonies could remain sensitive yet escape phage infection, due mainly to reduced growth in colony centers. In sum, spatial structure can protect bacteria against phage infection, while the presence of competing strains reduces the evolution of resistance to phage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuele Testa
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sarah Berger
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Philippe Piccardi
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Frank Oechslin
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Bioinformatics, Université Laval, Québec City, QC Canada
| | - Grégory Resch
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sara Mitri
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute for Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
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29
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Behera S, Pattnaik S. Persister cell development among Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonadaceae, Mycobacteriaceae and Staphylococcaceae biotypes: A review. BIOCATALYSIS AND AGRICULTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bcab.2019.101401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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30
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Abedon ST. Phage-Antibiotic Combination Treatments: Antagonistic Impacts of Antibiotics on the Pharmacodynamics of Phage Therapy? Antibiotics (Basel) 2019; 8:antibiotics8040182. [PMID: 31614449 PMCID: PMC6963693 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics8040182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2019] [Revised: 10/02/2019] [Accepted: 10/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteria can evolve resistance to antibiotics. Even without changing genetically, bacteria also can display tolerance to antibiotic treatments. Many antibiotics are also broadly acting, as can result in excessive modifications of body microbiomes. Particularly for antibiotics of last resort or in treating extremely ill patients, antibiotics furthermore can display excessive toxicities. Antibiotics nevertheless remain the standard of care for bacterial infections, and rightly so given their long track records of both antibacterial efficacy and infrequency of severe side effects. Antibiotics do not successfully cure all treated bacterial infections, however, thereby providing a utility to alternative antibacterial approaches. One such approach is the use of bacteriophages, the viruses of bacteria. This nearly 100-year-old bactericidal, anti-infection technology can be effective against antibiotic-resistant or -tolerant bacteria, including bacterial biofilms and persister cells. Ideally phages could be used in combination with standard antibiotics while retaining their anti-bacterial pharmacodynamic activity, this despite antibiotics interfering with aspects of bacterial metabolism that are also required for full phage infection activity. Here I examine the literature of pre-clinical phage-antibiotic combination treatments, with emphasis on antibiotic-susceptible bacterial targets. I review evidence of antibiotic interference with phage infection activity along with its converse: phage antibacterial functioning despite antibiotic presence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen T Abedon
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Mansfield, OH 44906, USA.
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31
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Big Impact of the Tiny: Bacteriophage-Bacteria Interactions in Biofilms. Trends Microbiol 2019; 27:739-752. [PMID: 31128928 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2019.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2019] [Revised: 04/10/2019] [Accepted: 04/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Bacteriophages (phages) have been shaping bacterial ecology and evolution for millions of years, for example, by selecting for defence strategies. Evidence supports that bacterial biofilm formation is one such strategy and that biofilm-mediated protection against phage infection depends on maturation and composition of the extracellular matrix. Interestingly, studies have revealed that phages can induce and strengthen biofilms. Here we review interactions between bacteria and phages in biofilms, discuss the underlying mechanisms, the potential of phage therapy for biofilm control, and emphasize the importance of considering biofilms in future phage research. This is especially relevant as biofilms are associated with increased tolerance towards antibiotics and are implicated in the majority of chronic infections.
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32
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Windels EM, Michiels JE, Fauvart M, Wenseleers T, Van den Bergh B, Michiels J. Bacterial persistence promotes the evolution of antibiotic resistance by increasing survival and mutation rates. ISME JOURNAL 2019; 13:1239-1251. [PMID: 30647458 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-019-0344-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 189] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2018] [Revised: 10/09/2018] [Accepted: 12/23/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Persisters are transiently antibiotic-tolerant cells that complicate the treatment of bacterial infections. Both theory and experiments have suggested that persisters facilitate genetic resistance by constituting an evolutionary reservoir of viable cells. Here, we provide evidence for a strong positive correlation between persistence and the likelihood to become genetically resistant in natural and lab strains of E. coli. This correlation can be partly attributed to the increased availability of viable cells associated with persistence. However, our data additionally show that persistence is pleiotropically linked with mutation rates. Our theoretical model further demonstrates that increased survival and mutation rates jointly affect the likelihood of evolving clinical resistance. Overall, these results suggest that the battle against antibiotic resistance will benefit from incorporating anti-persister therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Etthel Martha Windels
- Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,VIB Center for Microbiology, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Joran Elie Michiels
- Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,VIB Center for Microbiology, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Maarten Fauvart
- Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,imec, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Tom Wenseleers
- Laboratory of Socioecology and Social Evolution, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Bram Van den Bergh
- Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,VIB Center for Microbiology, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology, Leuven, Belgium.,Douglas lab, Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Jan Michiels
- Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. .,VIB Center for Microbiology, Flanders Institute for Biotechnology, Leuven, Belgium.
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33
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Abstract
P. aeruginosa is a soil dwelling bacterium and a plant pathogen, and it also causes life-threatening infections in humans. Thus, P. aeruginosa thrives in diverse environments and over a broad range of temperatures. Some P. aeruginosa strains rely on the CRISPR-Cas adaptive immune system as a phage defense mechanism. Our discovery that low temperatures increase CRISPR adaptation suggests that the rarely occurring but crucial naive adaptation events may take place predominantly under conditions of slow growth, e.g., during the bacterium’s soil dwelling existence and during slow growth in biofilms. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)-associated (CRISPR-Cas) systems are adaptive defense systems that protect bacteria and archaea from invading genetic elements. In Pseudomonas aeruginosa, quorum sensing (QS) induces the CRISPR-Cas defense system at high cell density when the risk of bacteriophage infection is high. Here, we show that another cue, temperature, modulates P. aeruginosa CRISPR-Cas. Increased CRISPR adaptation occurs at environmental (i.e., low) temperatures compared to that at body (i.e., high) temperature. This increase is a consequence of the accumulation of CRISPR-Cas complexes, coupled with reduced P. aeruginosa growth rate at the lower temperature, the latter of which provides additional time prior to cell division for CRISPR-Cas to patrol the cell and successfully eliminate and/or acquire immunity to foreign DNA. Analyses of a QS mutant and synthetic QS compounds show that the QS and temperature cues act synergistically. The diversity and level of phage encountered by P. aeruginosa in the environment exceed that in the human body, presumably warranting increased reliance on CRISPR-Cas at environmental temperatures.
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34
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Jamal M, Andleeb S, Jalil F, Imran M, Nawaz MA, Hussain T, Ali M, Ur Rahman S, Das CR. Isolation, characterization and efficacy of phage MJ2 against biofilm forming multi-drug resistant Enterobacter cloacae. Folia Microbiol (Praha) 2018; 64:101-111. [PMID: 30090964 DOI: 10.1007/s12223-018-0636-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2018] [Accepted: 07/31/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Biofilm is involved in a variety of infections, playing a critical role in the chronicity of infections. Enterobacter cloacae is a biofilm-forming and multi-drug-resistant (MDR) nosocomial pathogen leading to significant morbidity and mortality. This study aimed at isolation of a bacteriophage against MDR clinical strain of E. cloacae and its efficacy against bacterial planktonic cells and biofilm. A bacteriophage MJ2 was successfully isolated from wastewater and was characterized. The phage exhibited a wide range of thermal and pH stability and demonstrated considerable adsorption to host bacteria in the presence of CaCl2 or MgCl2. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed MJ2 head as approximately 62 and 54 nm width and length, respectively. It had a short non-contractile tail and was characterized as a member of the family Podoviridae [order Caudovirales]. The phage MJ2 was found to possess 11 structural proteins (12-150 kDa) and a double-stranded DNA genome with an approximate size of 40 kb. The log-phase growth of E. cloacae both in biofilm and suspension was significantly reduced by the phage. The E. cloacae biofilm was formed under different conditions to evaluate the efficacy of MJ2 phage. Variable reduction pattern of E. cloacae biofilm was observed while treating it for 4 h with MJ2, i.e., biofilm under static conditions. The renewed media with intervals of 24, 72, and 120 h showed biomass decline of 2.8-, 3-, and 3.5-log, respectively. Whereas, the bacterial biofilm formed with dynamic conditions with refreshing media after 24, 72, and 120 h demonstrated decline in growth at 2.5-, 2.6-, and 3.3-log, respectively. It was, therefore, concluded that phage MJ2 possessed considerable inhibitory effects on MDR E. cloacae both in planktonic and biofilm forms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhsin Jamal
- Department of Microbiology, Abdul Wali Khan University, Garden Campus, Mardan, 23200, Pakistan.
- Emerging Pathogens Institute (EPI), University of Florida (UF), Gainesville, FL, USA.
- College of Veterinary Sciences & Animal Husbandry, Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan, Pakistan.
| | - Saadia Andleeb
- Emerging Pathogens Institute (EPI), University of Florida (UF), Gainesville, FL, USA
- Atta-ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences, National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Fazal Jalil
- Atta-ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences, National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan
- Department of Biotechnology, Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan, 23200, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Imran
- Department of Biotechnology, Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan, 23200, Pakistan
- Department of Microbiology, University of Health Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Asif Nawaz
- Department of Microbiology, University of Health Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan
- Department of Biotechnology, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University, Sheringal, Dir (Upper), Pakistan
| | - Tahir Hussain
- Department of Microbiology, Abdul Wali Khan University, Garden Campus, Mardan, 23200, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Ali
- Department of Biotechnology, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University, Sheringal, Dir (Upper), Pakistan
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Science, University of Management and Technology, C-II Johar Town, Lahore, 54770, Pakistan
| | - Sadeeq Ur Rahman
- College of Veterinary Sciences & Animal Husbandry, Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan, Pakistan
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Science, University of Management and Technology, C-II Johar Town, Lahore, 54770, Pakistan
| | - Chythanya Rajanna Das
- Emerging Pathogens Institute (EPI), University of Florida (UF), Gainesville, FL, USA
- College of Veterinary Sciences & Animal Husbandry, Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan, Pakistan
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35
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Akanda ZZ, Taha M, Abdelbary H. Current review-The rise of bacteriophage as a unique therapeutic platform in treating peri-prosthetic joint infections. J Orthop Res 2018; 36:1051-1060. [PMID: 28971508 DOI: 10.1002/jor.23755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2017] [Accepted: 09/27/2017] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Peri-prosthetic joint infection (PJI) is one of the most serious and dreaded complications after total joint replacement (TJR). Due to an aging population and the constant rise in demand for TJR, the incidence of PJI is also increasing. Successful treatment of PJI is challenging and is associated with high failure rates. One of the main causes for treatment failure is bacterial biofilm formation on implant surfaces and the adherence of biofilm bacteria on tissue and bone next to the implant. Biofilms are protective shields to bacterial cells and possess many unique properties that leads to antibiotic resistance. New therapeutic platforms are currently being explored to breakdown biofilm matrix in order to enhance the efficacy of antibiotics. Bacteriophages (phages) is one of these unique therapeutic platforms that can degrade biofilms as well as target the killing of bacterial cells. Preclinical studies of biofilm-mediated infections have demonstrated the ability of phage to eradicate biofilms and clear infections by working synergistically with antibiotics. There is strong preclinical evidence that phage can reduce the concentration of antibiotics required to treat an infection. These findings support a promising role for phages as a future clinical adjunct to antibiotics. In addition, phage therapy can be personalized to target a specific bacterial strain. Clinical studies using phage therapy are limited in Western literature; but phase I studies have established good safety profile with no adverse outcomes reported. In order to translate phage therapy to treat PJI in clinics, further preclinical testing is still required to study optimal delivery methods as well as the interaction between phage and the immune system in vivo. © 2017 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 36:1051-1060, 2018.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zarique Z Akanda
- Department of Surgery, Division of Orthopaedics, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Mariam Taha
- Department of Surgery, Division of Orthopaedics, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Hesham Abdelbary
- Department of Surgery, Division of Orthopaedics, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, Canada
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36
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Maciejewska B, Olszak T, Drulis-Kawa Z. Applications of bacteriophages versus phage enzymes to combat and cure bacterial infections: an ambitious and also a realistic application? Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2018; 102:2563-2581. [PMID: 29442169 PMCID: PMC5847195 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-018-8811-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 124] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2017] [Revised: 01/22/2018] [Accepted: 01/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Bacteriophages (phages) are viruses that infect bacteria. The "predator-prey" interactions are recognized as a potentially effective way to treat infections. Phages, as well as phage-derived proteins, especially enzymes, are intensively studied to become future alternative or supportive antibacterials used alone or in combination with standard antibiotic regimens treatment. There are many publications presenting phage therapy aspects, and some papers focused separately on the application of phage-derived enzymes. In this review, we discuss advantages and limitations of both agents concerning their specificity, mode of action, structural issues, resistance development, pharmacokinetics, product preparation, and interactions with the immune system. Finally, we describe the current regulations for phage-based product application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Maciejewska
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Institute of Genetics and Microbiology, University of Wroclaw, S. Przybyszewskiego 63/77, 51-148, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Tomasz Olszak
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Institute of Genetics and Microbiology, University of Wroclaw, S. Przybyszewskiego 63/77, 51-148, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Zuzanna Drulis-Kawa
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Institute of Genetics and Microbiology, University of Wroclaw, S. Przybyszewskiego 63/77, 51-148, Wroclaw, Poland.
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37
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Kumaran D, Taha M, Yi Q, Ramirez-Arcos S, Diallo JS, Carli A, Abdelbary H. Does Treatment Order Matter? Investigating the Ability of Bacteriophage to Augment Antibiotic Activity against Staphylococcus aureus Biofilms. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:127. [PMID: 29459853 PMCID: PMC5807357 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.00127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2017] [Accepted: 01/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The inability to effectively treat biofilm-related infections is a major clinical challenge. This has been attributed to the heightened antibiotic tolerance conferred to bacterial cells embedded within biofilms. Lytic bacteriophages (phages) have evolved to effectively infect and eradicate biofilm-associated cells. The current study was designed to investigate the ability of phage treatment to enhance the activity of antibiotics against biofilm-forming Staphylococcus aureus. The biofilm positive S. aureus strain ATCC 35556, the lytic S. aureus phage SATA-8505, and five antibiotics (cefazolin, vancomycin, dicloxacillin, tetracycline, and linezolid), used to treat S. aureus infections, were tested in this study. The ability of the SATA-8505 phage to augment the effect of these antibiotics against biofilm-associated S. aureus cells was assessed by exposing them to one of the five following treatment strategies: (i) antibiotics alone, (ii) phage alone, (iii) a combination of the two treatments simultaneously, (iv) staggered exposure to the phage followed by antibiotics, and (v) staggered exposure to antibiotics followed by exposure to phage. The effect of each treatment strategy on biofilm cells was assessed by enumerating viable bacterial cells. The results demonstrate that the treatment of biofilms with either SATA-8505, antibiotics, or both simultaneously resulted in minimal reduction of viable biofilm-associated cells. However, a significant reduction [up to 3 log colony forming unit (CFU)/mL] was observed when the phage treatment preceded antibiotics. This effect was most pronounced with vancomycin and cefazolin which exhibited synergistic interactions with SATA-8505, particularly at lower antibiotic concentrations. This in vitro study provides proof of principle for the ability of phages to augment the activity of antibiotics against S. aureus biofilms. Our results also demonstrate that therapeutic outcomes can be influenced by the sequence in which these therapeutic agents are administered, and the nature of their interactions. Further investigation into the interactions between lytic phages and antibiotics against various biofilm-forming organisms is important to direct future clinical translation of efficacious antibiotic–phage combination therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dilini Kumaran
- Center for Innovative Cancer Therapeutics, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Mariam Taha
- Center for Innovative Cancer Therapeutics, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - QiLong Yi
- Centre for Innovation, Canadian Blood Services, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | | | - Jean-Simon Diallo
- Center for Innovative Cancer Therapeutics, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Alberto Carli
- Division of Orthopedic Surgery, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Hesham Abdelbary
- Center for Innovative Cancer Therapeutics, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Division of Orthopedic Surgery, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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38
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Shidore T, Triplett LR. Toxin-Antitoxin Systems: Implications for Plant Disease. ANNUAL REVIEW OF PHYTOPATHOLOGY 2017; 55:161-179. [PMID: 28525308 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-phyto-080516-035559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems are gene modules that are ubiquitous in free-living prokaryotes. Diverse in structure, cellular function, and fitness roles, TA systems are defined by the presence of a toxin gene that suppresses bacterial growth and a toxin-neutralizing antitoxin gene, usually encoded in a single operon. Originally viewed as DNA maintenance modules, TA systems are now thought to function in many roles, including bacterial stress tolerance, virulence, phage defense, and biofilm formation. However, very few studies have investigated the significance of TA systems in the context of plant-microbe interactions. This review discusses the potential impact and application of TA systems in plant-associated bacteria, guided by insights gained from animal-pathogenic model systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Shidore
- Department of Plant Pathology and Ecology, The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, Connecticut 06511:
| | - L R Triplett
- Department of Plant Pathology and Ecology, The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, Connecticut 06511:
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39
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Advances in the treatment of problematic industrial biofilms. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2017; 33:97. [PMID: 28409363 DOI: 10.1007/s11274-016-2203-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2016] [Accepted: 12/28/2016] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
In nature, microorganisms tend to form biofilms that consist of extracellular polymeric substances with embedded sessile cells. Biofilms, especially mixed-culture synergistic biofilm consortia, are notoriously difficult to treat. They employ various defense mechanisms against attacks from antimicrobial agents. Problematic industrial biofilms cause biofouling as well as biocorrosion, also known as microbiologically influenced corrosion. Biocides are often used to treat biofilms together with scrubbing or pigging. Unfortunately, chemical treatments suppress vulnerable microbial species while allowing resistant species to take over. Repeated treatment cycles are typically needed in biofilm mitigation. This leads to biocide dosage escalation, causing environmental problems, higher costs and sometimes operational problems such as scale formation. New treatment methods are being developed such as enhanced biocide treatment and bacteriophage treatment. Special materials such as antibacterial stainless steels are also being created to combat biofilms. This review discussed some of the advances made in the fight against problematic industrial biofilms.
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40
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Abedon ST. Phage "delay" towards enhancing bacterial escape from biofilms: a more comprehensive way of viewing resistance to bacteriophages. AIMS Microbiol 2017; 3:186-226. [PMID: 31294157 PMCID: PMC6605007 DOI: 10.3934/microbiol.2017.2.186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2017] [Accepted: 03/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
In exploring bacterial resistance to bacteriophages, emphasis typically is placed on those mechanisms which completely prevent phage replication. Such resistance can be detected as extensive reductions in phage ability to form plaques, that is, reduced efficiency of plating. Mechanisms include restriction-modification systems, CRISPR/Cas systems, and abortive infection systems. Alternatively, phages may be reduced in their “vigor” when infecting certain bacterial hosts, that is, with phages displaying smaller burst sizes or extended latent periods rather than being outright inactivated. It is well known, as well, that most phages poorly infect bacteria that are less metabolically active. Extracellular polymers such as biofilm matrix material also may at least slow phage penetration to bacterial surfaces. Here I suggest that such “less-robust” mechanisms of resistance to bacteriophages could serve bacteria by slowing phage propagation within bacterial biofilms, that is, delaying phage impact on multiple bacteria rather than necessarily outright preventing such impact. Related bacteria, ones that are relatively near to infected bacteria, e.g., roughly 10+ µm away, consequently may be able to escape from biofilms with greater likelihood via standard dissemination-initiating mechanisms including erosion from biofilm surfaces or seeding dispersal/central hollowing. That is, given localized areas of phage infection, so long as phage spread can be reduced in rate from initial points of contact with susceptible bacteria, then bacterial survival may be enhanced due to bacteria metaphorically “running away” to more phage-free locations. Delay mechanisms—to the extent that they are less specific in terms of what phages are targeted—collectively could represent broader bacterial strategies of phage resistance versus outright phage killing, the latter especially as require specific, evolved molecular recognition of phage presence. The potential for phage delay should be taken into account when developing protocols of phage-mediated biocontrol of biofilm bacteria, e.g., as during phage therapy of chronic bacterial infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen T Abedon
- Department of Microbiology, the Ohio State University, 1680 University Dr., Mansfield, OH 44906, USA
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41
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Van den Bergh B, Fauvart M, Michiels J. Formation, physiology, ecology, evolution and clinical importance of bacterial persisters. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2017; 41:219-251. [DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fux001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 217] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2016] [Accepted: 01/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
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42
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Pearl Mizrahi S, Gefen O, Simon I, Balaban NQ. Persistence to anti-cancer treatments in the stationary to proliferating transition. Cell Cycle 2016; 15:3442-3453. [PMID: 27801609 PMCID: PMC5224467 DOI: 10.1080/15384101.2016.1248006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The heterogeneous responses of clonal cancer cells to treatment is understood to be caused by several factors, including stochasticity, cell-cycle dynamics, and different micro-environments. In a tumor, cancer cells may encounter fluctuating conditions and transit from a stationary culture to a proliferating state, for example this may occur following treatment. Here, we undertake a quantitative evaluation of the response of single cancerous lymphoblasts (L1210 cells) to various treatments administered during this transition. Additionally, we developed an experimental system, a “Mammalian Mother Machine,” that tracks the fate of thousands of mammalian cells over several generations under transient exposure to chemotherapeutic drugs. Using our developed system, we were able to follow the same cell under repeated treatments and continuously track many generations. We found that the dynamics of the transition between stationary and proliferative states are highly variable and affect the response to drug treatment. Using cell-cycle markers, we were able to isolate a subpopulation of persister cells with distinctly higher than average survival probability. The higher survival rate encountered with cell-cycle phase specific drugs was associated with a significantly longer time-till-division, and was reduced by a non cell-cycle specific drug. Our results suggest that the variability of transition times from the stationary to the proliferating state may be an obstacle hampering the effectiveness of drugs and should be taken into account when designing treatment regimens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sivan Pearl Mizrahi
- a Racah Institute of Physics, Edmond J. Safra Campus, The Hebrew University , Jerusalem , Israel.,b Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics , IMRIC, The Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School , Jerusalem , Israel
| | - Orit Gefen
- a Racah Institute of Physics, Edmond J. Safra Campus, The Hebrew University , Jerusalem , Israel
| | - Itamar Simon
- b Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics , IMRIC, The Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School , Jerusalem , Israel
| | - Nathalie Q Balaban
- a Racah Institute of Physics, Edmond J. Safra Campus, The Hebrew University , Jerusalem , Israel
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43
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Michiels JE, Van den Bergh B, Verstraeten N, Michiels J. Molecular mechanisms and clinical implications of bacterial persistence. Drug Resist Updat 2016; 29:76-89. [PMID: 27912845 DOI: 10.1016/j.drup.2016.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Any bacterial population harbors a small number of phenotypic variants that survive exposure to high concentrations of antibiotic. Importantly, these so-called 'persister cells' compromise successful antibiotic therapy of bacterial infections and are thought to contribute to the development of antibiotic resistance. Intriguingly, drug-tolerant persisters have also been identified as a factor underlying failure of chemotherapy in tumor cell populations. Recent studies have begun to unravel the complex molecular mechanisms underlying persister formation and revolve around stress responses and toxin-antitoxin modules. Additionally, in vitro evolution experiments are revealing insights into the evolutionary and adaptive aspects of this phenotype. Furthermore, ever-improving experimental techniques are stimulating efforts to investigate persisters in their natural, infection-associated, in vivo environment. This review summarizes recent insights into the molecular mechanisms of persister formation, explains how persisters complicate antibiotic treatment of infections, and outlines emerging strategies to combat these tolerant cells.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Jan Michiels
- Centre of Microbial and Plant Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
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44
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Kirzner S, Barak E, Lindell D. Variability in progeny production and virulence of cyanophages determined at the single-cell level. ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY REPORTS 2016; 8:605-613. [PMID: 27084786 DOI: 10.1111/1758-2229.12409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Little information regarding viral progeny production (burst size) and host mortality (viral virulence) is currently available for environmentally relevant phages. This is partially due to the difficulty in accurately measuring these infection properties with existing methods. Here, we set up a simple system for determining viral virulence and burst size at the single-cell level following flow cytometric separation of infected cells. We applied this assay to two distinct cyanomyoviruses, Syn9 and S-TIM5, during infection of two marine Synechococcus strains each. We found that virulence ranged from 44%-82%, differing for the same phage on different hosts. Average burst sizes ranged from 21-43 infective viruses/cell, and differed with host for Syn9, whereas the burst size of S-TIM5 was similar for both hosts. In addition, virulence and burst sizes were different for the two phages when infecting their common host. Furthermore, wide-ranging cell-to-cell variability was found for single-cell burst sizes in each of the four interactions, ranging from 2 to over 100 infective viruses/cell. This variability, discerned at both the population and single-cell levels under controlled laboratory conditions, is likely to be much more complex in natural environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shay Kirzner
- Faculty of Biology, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 32000, Israel
| | - Efrat Barak
- Life Sciences and Engineering Infrastructure Unit, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 32000, Israel
| | - Debbie Lindell
- Faculty of Biology, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 32000, Israel
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45
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Shen J, Zhou J, Fu H, Mu Y, Sun Y, Xu Y, Xiu Z. A Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteriophage and its effect on 1,3-propanediol fermentation. Process Biochem 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.procbio.2016.07.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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46
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Gulbudak H, Weitz JS. A touch of sleep: biophysical model of contact-mediated dormancy of archaea by viruses. Proc Biol Sci 2016; 283:rspb.2016.1037. [PMID: 27683365 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.1037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2016] [Accepted: 09/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The canonical view of the interactions between viruses and their microbial hosts presumes that changes in host and virus fate requires the initiation of infection of a host by a virus. Infection may lead to the death of the host cell and release of viruses, to the elimination of the viral genome through cellular defence mechanisms or the integration of the viral genome with the host as a chromosomal or extrachromosomal element. Here, we revisit this canonical view, inspired by recent experimental findings in which the majority of target host cells can be induced into a dormant state when exposed to either active or deactivated viruses, even when viruses are present at low relative titre. We propose that both the qualitative phenomena and the quantitative timescales of dormancy induction are consistent with the hypothesis that cellular physiology can be altered by contact on the surface of host cells rather than strictly by infection In order to test this hypothesis, we develop and study a biophysical model of contact-mediated dynamics involving virus particles and target cells. We show how virus particles can catalyse cellular transformations among many cells, even if they ultimately infect only one (or none). We also find that population-scale dormancy is robust to variation in the representation of model dynamics, including cell growth, death and recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayriye Gulbudak
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA School of Mathematics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Joshua S Weitz
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
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47
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Gutiérrez D, Rodríguez-Rubio L, Martínez B, Rodríguez A, García P. Bacteriophages as Weapons Against Bacterial Biofilms in the Food Industry. Front Microbiol 2016; 7:825. [PMID: 27375566 PMCID: PMC4897796 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.00825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2016] [Accepted: 05/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbiological contamination in the food industry is often attributed to the presence of biofilms in processing plants. Bacterial biofilms are complex communities of bacteria attached to a surface and surrounded by an extracellular polymeric material. Their extreme resistance to cleaning and disinfecting processes is related to a unique organization, which implies a differential bacterial growth and gene expression inside the biofilm. The impact of biofilms on health, and the economic consequences, has promoted the development of different approaches to control or remove biofilm formation. Recently, successful results in phage therapy have boosted new research in bacteriophages and phage lytic proteins for biofilm eradication. In this regard, this review examines the environmental factors that determine biofilm development in food-processing equipment. In addition, future perspectives for the use of bacteriophage-derived tools as disinfectants are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Gutiérrez
- Instituto de Productos Lácteos de Asturias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones CientíficasVillaviciosa, Spain
| | - Lorena Rodríguez-Rubio
- Instituto de Productos Lácteos de Asturias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones CientíficasVillaviciosa, Spain
- Laboratory of Gene Technology, Katholieke Universiteit LeuvenLeuven, Belgium
| | - Beatriz Martínez
- Instituto de Productos Lácteos de Asturias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones CientíficasVillaviciosa, Spain
| | - Ana Rodríguez
- Instituto de Productos Lácteos de Asturias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones CientíficasVillaviciosa, Spain
| | - Pilar García
- Instituto de Productos Lácteos de Asturias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones CientíficasVillaviciosa, Spain
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48
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Distinguishing between resistance, tolerance and persistence to antibiotic treatment. Nat Rev Microbiol 2016; 14:320-30. [DOI: 10.1038/nrmicro.2016.34] [Citation(s) in RCA: 816] [Impact Index Per Article: 102.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
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49
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Sandvik EL, Fazen CH, Henry TC, Mok WWK, Brynildsen MP. Non-Monotonic Survival of Staphylococcus aureus with Respect to Ciprofloxacin Concentration Arises from Prophage-Dependent Killing of Persisters. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2015; 8:778-92. [PMID: 26593926 PMCID: PMC4695809 DOI: 10.3390/ph8040778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2015] [Revised: 11/02/2015] [Accepted: 11/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus is a notorious pathogen with a propensity to cause chronic, non-healing wounds. Bacterial persisters have been implicated in the recalcitrance of S. aureus infections, and this motivated us to examine the persistence of S. aureus to ciprofloxacin, a quinolone antibiotic. Upon treatment of exponential phase S. aureus with ciprofloxacin, we observed that survival was a non-monotonic function of ciprofloxacin concentration. Maximal killing occurred at 1 µg/mL ciprofloxacin, which corresponded to survival that was up to ~40-fold lower than that obtained with concentrations ≥ 5 µg/mL. Investigation of this phenomenon revealed that the non-monotonic response was associated with prophage induction, which facilitated killing of S. aureus persisters. Elimination of prophage induction with tetracycline was found to prevent cell lysis and persister killing. We anticipate that these findings may be useful for the design of quinolone treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth L Sandvik
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
| | - Christopher H Fazen
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
| | - Theresa C Henry
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
- Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA.
| | - Wendy W K Mok
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
| | - Mark P Brynildsen
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
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50
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Alves DR, Perez-Esteban P, Kot W, Bean JE, Arnot T, Hansen LH, Enright MC, Jenkins ATA. A novel bacteriophage cocktail reduces and disperses Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms under static and flow conditions. Microb Biotechnol 2015; 9:61-74. [PMID: 26347362 PMCID: PMC4720417 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.12316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2015] [Revised: 08/10/2015] [Accepted: 08/11/2015] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic human pathogen that forms highly stable communities - biofilms, which contribute to the establishment and maintenance of infections. The biofilm state and intrinsic/acquired bacterial resistance mechanisms contribute to resistance/tolerance to antibiotics that is frequently observed in P. aeruginosa isolates. Here we describe the isolation and characterization of six novel lytic bacteriophages: viruses that infect bacteria, which together efficiently infect and kill a wide range of P. aeruginosa clinical isolates. The phages were used to formulate a cocktail with the potential to eliminate P. aeruginosa PAO1 planktonic cultures. Two biofilm models were studied, one static and one dynamic, and the phage cocktail was assessed for its ability to reduce and disperse the biofilm biomass. For the static model, after 4 h of contact with the phage suspension (MOI 10) more than 95% of biofilm biomass was eliminated. In the flow biofilm model, a slower rate of activity by the phage was observed, but 48 h after addition of the phage cocktail the biofilm was dispersed, with most cells eliminated (> 4 logs) comparing with the control. This cocktail has the potential for development as a therapeutic to control P. aeruginosa infections, which are predominantly biofilm centred.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana R Alves
- Department of Chemistry, University of Bath, Bath, Claverton Down, BA2 7AY, UK
| | - P Perez-Esteban
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Bath, Bath, Claverton Down, BA2 7AY, UK
| | - W Kot
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus Universitet, Frederiksborgvej 399, Postboks, 358, Roskilde, DK-4000, Denmark
| | - J E Bean
- Department of Chemistry, University of Bath, Bath, Claverton Down, BA2 7AY, UK
| | - T Arnot
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Bath, Bath, Claverton Down, BA2 7AY, UK
| | - L H Hansen
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus Universitet, Frederiksborgvej 399, Postboks, 358, Roskilde, DK-4000, Denmark
| | - Mark C Enright
- School of Healthcare Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University, John Dalton Building, Chester Street, Manchester, M1 5GD, UK
| | - A Tobias A Jenkins
- Department of Chemistry, University of Bath, Bath, Claverton Down, BA2 7AY, UK
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