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Milne R, Patch C. Ethical Challenges Associated with Pathogen and Host Genetics in Infectious Disease. New Bioeth 2023; 29:24-36. [PMID: 35972296 DOI: 10.1080/20502877.2022.2109697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Abstract
The Covid-19 pandemic has demonstrated the potential of genomic technologies for the detection and surveillance of infectious diseases. Pathogen genomics is likely to play a major role in the future of research and clinical implementation of genomic technologies. However, unlike human genetics, the specific ethical and social challenges associated with the implementation of infectious disease genomics has received comparatively little attention. In this paper, we contribute to this literature, focusing on the potential consequences for individuals and communities of the use of these technologies. We concentrate on areas of challenges related to privacy, stigma, discrimination and the return of results in the cases of the surveillance of known pathogens, metagenomics and host genomics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Milne
- Engagement and Society, Wellcome Connecting Science, Hinxton, UK.,Kavli Centre for Ethics, Science and the Public, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Christine Patch
- Engagement and Society, Wellcome Connecting Science, Hinxton, UK
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2
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Schuele L, Cassidy H, Peker N, Rossen JWA, Couto N. Future potential of metagenomics in clinical laboratories. Expert Rev Mol Diagn 2021; 21:1273-1285. [PMID: 34755585 DOI: 10.1080/14737159.2021.2001329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Rapid and sensitive diagnostic strategies are necessary for patient care and public health. Most of the current conventional microbiological assays detect only a restricted panel of pathogens at a time or require a microbe to be successfully cultured from a sample. Clinical metagenomics next-generation sequencing (mNGS) has the potential to unbiasedly detect all pathogens in a sample, increasing the sensitivity for detection and enabling the discovery of unknown infectious agents. AREAS COVERED High expectations have been built around mNGS; however, this technique is far from widely available. This review highlights the advances and currently available options in terms of costs, turnaround time, sensitivity, specificity, validation, and reproducibility of mNGS as a diagnostic tool in clinical microbiology laboratories. EXPERT OPINION The need for a novel diagnostic tool to increase the sensitivity of microbial diagnostics is clear. mNGS has the potential to revolutionise clinical microbiology. However, its role as a diagnostic tool has yet to be widely established, which is crucial for successfully implementing the technique. A clear definition of diagnostic algorithms that include mNGS is vital to show clinical utility. Similarly to real-time PCR, mNGS will one day become a vital tool in any testing algorithm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonard Schuele
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Hayley Cassidy
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Nilay Peker
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - John W A Rossen
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Groningen, the Netherlands.,Department of Pathology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Natacha Couto
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Groningen, the Netherlands.,The Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
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3
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de Vries JJC, Brown JR, Couto N, Beer M, Le Mercier P, Sidorov I, Papa A, Fischer N, Oude Munnink BB, Rodriquez C, Zaheri M, Sayiner A, Hönemann M, Cataluna AP, Carbo EC, Bachofen C, Kubacki J, Schmitz D, Tsioka K, Matamoros S, Höper D, Hernandez M, Puchhammer-Stöckl E, Lebrand A, Huber M, Simmonds P, Claas ECJ, López-Labrador FX. Recommendations for the introduction of metagenomic next-generation sequencing in clinical virology, part II: bioinformatic analysis and reporting. J Clin Virol 2021; 138:104812. [PMID: 33819811 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcv.2021.104812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) is an untargeted technique for determination of microbial DNA/RNA sequences in a variety of sample types from patients with infectious syndromes. mNGS is still in its early stages of broader translation into clinical applications. To further support the development, implementation, optimization and standardization of mNGS procedures for virus diagnostics, the European Society for Clinical Virology (ESCV) Network on Next-Generation Sequencing (ENNGS) has been established. The aim of ENNGS is to bring together professionals involved in mNGS for viral diagnostics to share methodologies and experiences, and to develop application guidelines. Following the ENNGS publication Recommendations for the introduction of mNGS in clinical virology, part I: wet lab procedure in this journal, the current manuscript aims to provide practical recommendations for the bioinformatic analysis of mNGS data and reporting of results to clinicians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jutte J C de Vries
- Clinical Microbiological Laboratory, department of Medical Microbiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.
| | - Julianne R Brown
- Microbiology, Virology and Infection Prevention & Control, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom.
| | - Natacha Couto
- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom.
| | - Martin Beer
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Greifswald, Germany.
| | | | - Igor Sidorov
- Clinical Microbiological Laboratory, department of Medical Microbiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.
| | - Anna Papa
- Department of Microbiology, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.
| | - Nicole Fischer
- University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, UKE Institute for Medical Microbiology, Virology and Hygiene, Germany.
| | | | - Christophe Rodriquez
- Department of Virology, University hospital Henri Mondor, Assistance Public des Hopitaux de Paris, Créteil, France.
| | - Maryam Zaheri
- Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Arzu Sayiner
- Dokuz Eylul University, Medical Faculty, Department of Medical Microbiology, Izmir, Turkey.
| | - Mario Hönemann
- Institute of Virology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Alba Perez Cataluna
- Department of Preservation and Food Safety Technologies, IATA-CSIC, Paterna, Valencia, Spain.
| | - Ellen C Carbo
- Clinical Microbiological Laboratory, department of Medical Microbiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.
| | | | - Jakub Kubacki
- Institute of Virology, University of Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Dennis Schmitz
- RIVM National Institute for Public Health and Environment, Bilthoven, the Netherlands.
| | - Katerina Tsioka
- Department of Microbiology, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.
| | - Sébastien Matamoros
- Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Dirk Höper
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Greifswald, Germany.
| | - Marta Hernandez
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Instituto Tecnologico Agrario de Castilla y Leon, Valladolid, Spain.
| | | | | | - Michael Huber
- Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Peter Simmonds
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - Eric C J Claas
- Clinical Microbiological Laboratory, department of Medical Microbiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.
| | - F Xavier López-Labrador
- Virology Laboratory, Genomics and Health Area, Centre for Public Health Research (FISABIO-Public Health), Valencia, Spain; Department of Microbiology, Medical School, University of Valencia, Spain; CIBERESP, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
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5
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Abstract
Metagenomics, i.e., the sequencing and analysis of genomic information extracted directly from clinical or environmental samples, has become a fundamental tool to explore the viral world. Against the background of an extensive viral diversity revealed by metagenomics across many environments, new sequence assembly approaches that reconstruct complete genome sequences from metagenomes have recently revealed surprisingly cosmopolitan viruses in specific ecological niches. Metagenomics is also applied to clinical samples as a non-targeted diagnostic and surveillance tool. By enabling the study of these uncultivated viruses, metagenomics provides invaluable insights into the virus-host interactions, epidemiology, ecology, and evolution of viruses across all ecosystems.
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Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths in both the USA and the world. Recent research has demonstrated the involvement of the gut microbiota in CRC development and progression. Microbial biomarkers of disease have focused primarily on the bacterial component of the microbiome; however, the viral portion of the microbiome, consisting of both bacteriophages and eukaryotic viruses, together known as the virome, has been lesser studied. Here we review the recent advancements in high-throughput sequencing (HTS) technologies and bioinformatics, which have enabled scientists to better understand how viruses might influence the development of colorectal cancer. We discuss the contemporary findings revealing modulations in the virome and their correlation with CRC development and progression. While a variety of challenges still face viral HTS detection in clinical specimens, we consider herein numerous next steps for future basic and clinical research. Clinicians need to move away from a single infectious agent model for disease etiology by grasping new, more encompassing etiological paradigms, in which communities of various microbial components interact with each other and the host. The reporting and indexing of patient health information, socioeconomic data, and other relevant metadata will enable identification of predictive variables and covariates of viral presence and CRC development. Altogether, the virome has a more profound role in carcinogenesis and cancer progression than once thought, and viruses, specific for either human cells or bacteria, are clinically relevant in understanding CRC pathology, patient prognosis, and treatment development.
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Kiselev D, Matsvay A, Abramov I, Dedkov V, Shipulin G, Khafizov K. Current Trends in Diagnostics of Viral Infections of Unknown Etiology. Viruses 2020; 12:E211. [PMID: 32074965 PMCID: PMC7077230 DOI: 10.3390/v12020211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2019] [Revised: 02/10/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Viruses are evolving at an alarming rate, spreading and inconspicuously adapting to cutting-edge therapies. Therefore, the search for rapid, informative and reliable diagnostic methods is becoming urgent as ever. Conventional clinical tests (PCR, serology, etc.) are being continually optimized, yet provide very limited data. Could high throughput sequencing (HTS) become the future gold standard in molecular diagnostics of viral infections? Compared to conventional clinical tests, HTS is universal and more precise at profiling pathogens. Nevertheless, it has not yet been widely accepted as a diagnostic tool, owing primarily to its high cost and the complexity of sample preparation and data analysis. Those obstacles must be tackled to integrate HTS into daily clinical practice. For this, three objectives are to be achieved: (1) designing and assessing universal protocols for library preparation, (2) assembling purpose-specific pipelines, and (3) building computational infrastructure to suit the needs and financial abilities of modern healthcare centers. Data harvested with HTS could not only augment diagnostics and help to choose the correct therapy, but also facilitate research in epidemiology, genetics and virology. This information, in turn, could significantly aid clinicians in battling viral infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Kiselev
- FSBI “Center of Strategic Planning” of the Ministry of Health, 119435 Moscow, Russia; (D.K.); (A.M.); (I.A.); (G.S.)
- I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, 119146 Moscow, Russia
| | - Alina Matsvay
- FSBI “Center of Strategic Planning” of the Ministry of Health, 119435 Moscow, Russia; (D.K.); (A.M.); (I.A.); (G.S.)
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, National Research University, 117303 Moscow, Russia
| | - Ivan Abramov
- FSBI “Center of Strategic Planning” of the Ministry of Health, 119435 Moscow, Russia; (D.K.); (A.M.); (I.A.); (G.S.)
| | - Vladimir Dedkov
- Pasteur Institute, Federal Service on Consumers’ Rights Protection and Human Well-Being Surveillance, 197101 Saint-Petersburg, Russia;
- Martsinovsky Institute of Medical Parasitology, Tropical and Vector Borne Diseases, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, 119146 Moscow, Russia
| | - German Shipulin
- FSBI “Center of Strategic Planning” of the Ministry of Health, 119435 Moscow, Russia; (D.K.); (A.M.); (I.A.); (G.S.)
| | - Kamil Khafizov
- FSBI “Center of Strategic Planning” of the Ministry of Health, 119435 Moscow, Russia; (D.K.); (A.M.); (I.A.); (G.S.)
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, National Research University, 117303 Moscow, Russia
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Nooij S, Schmitz D, Vennema H, Kroneman A, Koopmans MPG. Overview of Virus Metagenomic Classification Methods and Their Biological Applications. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:749. [PMID: 29740407 PMCID: PMC5924777 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.00749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2017] [Accepted: 04/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Metagenomics poses opportunities for clinical and public health virology applications by offering a way to assess complete taxonomic composition of a clinical sample in an unbiased way. However, the techniques required are complicated and analysis standards have yet to develop. This, together with the wealth of different tools and workflows that have been proposed, poses a barrier for new users. We evaluated 49 published computational classification workflows for virus metagenomics in a literature review. To this end, we described the methods of existing workflows by breaking them up into five general steps and assessed their ease-of-use and validation experiments. Performance scores of previous benchmarks were summarized and correlations between methods and performance were investigated. We indicate the potential suitability of the different workflows for (1) time-constrained diagnostics, (2) surveillance and outbreak source tracing, (3) detection of remote homologies (discovery), and (4) biodiversity studies. We provide two decision trees for virologists to help select a workflow for medical or biodiversity studies, as well as directions for future developments in clinical viral metagenomics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sam Nooij
- Emerging and Endemic Viruses, Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, Netherlands.,Viroscience Laboratory, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Dennis Schmitz
- Emerging and Endemic Viruses, Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, Netherlands.,Viroscience Laboratory, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Harry Vennema
- Emerging and Endemic Viruses, Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, Netherlands
| | - Annelies Kroneman
- Emerging and Endemic Viruses, Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, Netherlands
| | - Marion P G Koopmans
- Emerging and Endemic Viruses, Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, Netherlands.,Viroscience Laboratory, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, Netherlands
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Abstract
Many disciplines, from human genetics and oncology to plant breeding, microbiology and virology, commonly face the challenge of analyzing rapidly increasing numbers of genomes. In case of Homo sapiens, the number of sequenced genomes will approach hundreds of thousands in the next few years. Simply scaling up established bioinformatics pipelines will not be sufficient for leveraging the full potential of such rich genomic data sets. Instead, novel, qualitatively different computational methods and paradigms are needed. We will witness the rapid extension of computational pan-genomics, a new sub-area of research in computational biology. In this article, we generalize existing definitions and understand a pan-genome as any collection of genomic sequences to be analyzed jointly or to be used as a reference. We examine already available approaches to construct and use pan-genomes, discuss the potential benefits of future technologies and methodologies and review open challenges from the vantage point of the above-mentioned biological disciplines. As a prominent example for a computational paradigm shift, we particularly highlight the transition from the representation of reference genomes as strings to representations as graphs. We outline how this and other challenges from different application domains translate into common computational problems, point out relevant bioinformatics techniques and identify open problems in computer science. With this review, we aim to increase awareness that a joint approach to computational pan-genomics can help address many of the problems currently faced in various domains.
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10
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Zárate S, Taboada B, Yocupicio-Monroy M, Arias CF. Human Virome. Arch Med Res 2017; 48:701-716. [DOI: 10.1016/j.arcmed.2018.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2017] [Accepted: 01/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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Abstract
The standard paradigm for microbiological testing is dependent on the presentation of a patient to a clinician. Tests are then requested based on differential diagnoses using the patient's symptoms as a guide. The era of high-throughput genomic methods has the potential to replace this model for the first time with what could be referred to as "hypothesis-free testing." This approach utilizes one of a variety of methodologies to obtain a sequence from potentially any nucleic acid in a clinical sample, without prior knowledge of its content. We discuss the advantages of such an approach and the challenges in making this a reality.
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12
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Abstract
Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of pathogens is becoming increasingly important not only for basic research but also for clinical science and practice. In virology, WGS is important for the development of novel treatments and vaccines, and for increasing the power of molecular epidemiology and evolutionary genomics. In this Opinion article, we suggest that WGS of viruses in a clinical setting will become increasingly important for patient care. We give an overview of different WGS methods that are used in virology and summarize their advantages and disadvantages. Although there are only partially addressed technical, financial and ethical issues in regard to the clinical application of viral WGS, this technique provides important insights into virus transmission, evolution and pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte J. Houldcroft
- Department of Infection, UK; and the Division of Biological Anthropology, Immunity and Inflammation, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3QG, UK.,
- and the Division of Biological Anthropology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3QG, UK.,
| | - Mathew A. Beale
- Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT UK
- The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, CB10 1SA Cambridge UK
| | - Judith Breuer
- Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK; and at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London WC1N 3JH, UK.,
- and at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London WC1N 3JH, UK.,
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Abstract
We recently described the 4.5-year time course of the enteric bacterial microbiota and virome of a patient cured from recurrent Clostridium difficile infection (rCDI) by fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT). Here, we extended the virome analyses and found the patient's phage population to exhibit highly donor-similar characteristics following FMT, which remained stable for the whole period tested (up to 7 months). Moreover, the detected viral populations of donor and patient exhibited comparable diversity and richness. These findings were unexpected since enteric viromes are normally highly variable, assumed to influence the bacterial host community and change with environmental conditions. In contrast to the virome, the bacterial microbiota varied indeed for more than 7 months with ongoing dysbiosis before it reached donor similarity. Our findings that are based on sequence information and protein domain analysis seem to suggest that stable phage properties correlate with successful FMT better than the changing bacterial communities. We speculate that we here preferentially detected a stable core virome, which dominated over a variable flexible virome that may have been too heterogeneous for experimental detection or was underrepresented in the databases. It will be interesting to analyze whether the enteric virome allows predictions for the clinical outcome of FMT for rCDI and other diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease or obesity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Broecker
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland,Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany,Present address: Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA,CONTACT Felix Broecker ; Karin Moelling
| | - Giancarlo Russo
- Functional Genomics Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jochen Klumpp
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Karin Moelling
- Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland,Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany,CONTACT Felix Broecker ; Karin Moelling
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Woloszynek S, Pastor S, Mell JC, Nandi N, Sokhansanj B, Rosen GL. Engineering Human Microbiota: Influencing Cellular and Community Dynamics for Therapeutic Applications. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2016; 324:67-124. [PMID: 27017007 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ircmb.2016.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The complex relationship between microbiota, human physiology, and environmental perturbations has become a major research focus, particularly with the arrival of culture-free and high-throughput approaches for studying the microbiome. Early enthusiasm has come from results that are largely correlative, but the correlative phase of microbiome research has assisted in defining the key questions of how these microbiota interact with their host. An emerging repertoire for engineering the microbiome places current research on a more experimentally grounded footing. We present a detailed look at the interplay between microbiota and host and how these interactions can be exploited. A particular emphasis is placed on unstable microbial communities, or dysbiosis, and strategies to reestablish stability in these microbial ecosystems. These include manipulation of intermicrobial communication, development of designer probiotics, fecal microbiota transplantation, and synthetic biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Woloszynek
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
| | - S Pastor
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
| | - J C Mell
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
| | - N Nandi
- Division of Gastroenterology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
| | - B Sokhansanj
- McKool Smith Hennigan, P. C., Redwood Shores, CA, United States of America
| | - G L Rosen
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America.
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Edwards RA, McNair K, Faust K, Raes J, Dutilh BE. Computational approaches to predict bacteriophage-host relationships. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2015; 40:258-72. [PMID: 26657537 PMCID: PMC5831537 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuv048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 273] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/11/2015] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Metagenomics has changed the face of virus discovery by enabling the accurate identification of viral genome sequences without requiring isolation of the viruses. As a result, metagenomic virus discovery leaves the first and most fundamental question about any novel virus unanswered: What host does the virus infect? The diversity of the global virosphere and the volumes of data obtained in metagenomic sequencing projects demand computational tools for virus–host prediction. We focus on bacteriophages (phages, viruses that infect bacteria), the most abundant and diverse group of viruses found in environmental metagenomes. By analyzing 820 phages with annotated hosts, we review and assess the predictive power of in silico phage–host signals. Sequence homology approaches are the most effective at identifying known phage–host pairs. Compositional and abundance-based methods contain significant signal for phage–host classification, providing opportunities for analyzing the unknowns in viral metagenomes. Together, these computational approaches further our knowledge of the interactions between phages and their hosts. Importantly, we find that all reviewed signals significantly link phages to their hosts, illustrating how current knowledge and insights about the interaction mechanisms and ecology of coevolving phages and bacteria can be exploited to predict phage–host relationships, with potential relevance for medical and industrial applications. New viruses infecting bacteria are increasingly being discovered in many environments through sequence-based explorations. To understand their role in microbial ecosystems, computational tools are indispensable to prioritize and guide experimental efforts. This review assesses and discusses a range of bioinformatic approaches to predict bacteriophage–host relationships when all that is known is their genome sequence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert A Edwards
- Department of Computer Science, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Dr., San Diego, CA 92182, USA Department of Marine Biology, Institute of Biology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, CEP 21941-902, Brazil Division of Mathematics and Computer Science, Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 S. Cass Ave, Argonne, IL 60439, USA
| | - Katelyn McNair
- Department of Computer Science, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Dr., San Diego, CA 92182, USA
| | - Karoline Faust
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Rega Institute KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium VIB Center for the Biology of Disease, VIB, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium Laboratory of Microbiology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jeroen Raes
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Rega Institute KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium VIB Center for the Biology of Disease, VIB, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium Laboratory of Microbiology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Bas E Dutilh
- Department of Marine Biology, Institute of Biology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, CEP 21941-902, Brazil Theoretical Biology and Bioinformatics, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH, Utrecht, the Netherlands Centre for Molecular and Biomolecular Informatics, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Centre, Geert Grooteplein 28, 6525 GA, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
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