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Torres-Quintero MC, Santamaría RI, Martínez-Flores I, Bustos P, Girard L, Cevallos MÁ, Rodríguez-Sánchez C, González V. Role of core lipopolysaccharide biosynthetic genes in the infection and adsorption of broad-host-range bacteriophages of Rhizobium etli. Microbiol Res 2024; 285:127766. [PMID: 38788349 DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2024.127766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2024] [Revised: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
In this study, we examined the role of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) core of Rhizobium etli in facilitating the adsorption and infection of phages with broad host range. When the plasmid-encoded LPS biosynthesis genes, wreU and wreV, were disrupted, distinct and contrasting effects on phage infection were observed. The wreU mutant strains exhibited wild-type adsorption and infection properties, whereas the wreV mutant demonstrated resistance to phage infection, but retained the capacity to adsorb phages. Complementation of the wreV mutant strains with a recombinant plasmid containing the wreU and wreV, restored the susceptibility to the phages. However, the presence of this recombinant plasmid in a strain devoid of the native lps-encoding plasmid was insufficient to restore phage susceptibility. These results suggest that the absence of wreV impedes the proper assembly of the complete LPS core, potentially affecting the formation of UDP-KdgNAg or KDO precursors for the O-antigen. In addition, a protein not yet identified, but residing in the native lps-encoding plasmid, may be necessary for complete phage infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Carmen Torres-Quintero
- Programa de Genómica Evolutiva, Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, UNAM, Av. Universidad s/n, Col. Chamilpa C.P. 62212, Cuernavaca, Mor, Apdo 565-A, Mexico
| | - Rosa Isela Santamaría
- Programa de Genómica Evolutiva, Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, UNAM, Av. Universidad s/n, Col. Chamilpa C.P. 62212, Cuernavaca, Mor, Apdo 565-A, Mexico
| | - Irma Martínez-Flores
- Programa de Genómica Evolutiva, Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, UNAM, Av. Universidad s/n, Col. Chamilpa C.P. 62212, Cuernavaca, Mor, Apdo 565-A, Mexico
| | - Patricia Bustos
- Programa de Genómica Evolutiva, Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, UNAM, Av. Universidad s/n, Col. Chamilpa C.P. 62212, Cuernavaca, Mor, Apdo 565-A, Mexico
| | - Lourdes Girard
- Programa de Microbiología Genómica, Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, UNAM, Av. Universidad s/n, Col. Chamilpa C.P. 62212, Cuernavaca, Mor, Apdo 565-A, Mexico
| | - Miguel Ángel Cevallos
- Programa de Genómica Evolutiva, Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, UNAM, Av. Universidad s/n, Col. Chamilpa C.P. 62212, Cuernavaca, Mor, Apdo 565-A, Mexico
| | - César Rodríguez-Sánchez
- Programa de Genómica Evolutiva, Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, UNAM, Av. Universidad s/n, Col. Chamilpa C.P. 62212, Cuernavaca, Mor, Apdo 565-A, Mexico
| | - Víctor González
- Programa de Genómica Evolutiva, Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, UNAM, Av. Universidad s/n, Col. Chamilpa C.P. 62212, Cuernavaca, Mor, Apdo 565-A, Mexico.
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2
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Kutralam-Muniasamy G, Shruti VC, Pérez-Guevara F. Plastisphere-hosted viruses: A review of interactions, behavior, and effects. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 472:134533. [PMID: 38749241 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.134533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2024] [Revised: 05/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024]
Abstract
Microbial communities, including bacteria, diatoms, and fungi, colonize plastic surfaces, forming biofilms known as the "plastisphere." Recent research has revealed that plastispheres also host a wide range of viruses, sparking interest in microbial ecology and virology. This shared habitat allows viruses to replicate, interact, infect, and spread, potentially impacting the environment and human health. Consequently, viruses attached to microplastics are now recognized to have broad effects on cellular and immune responses. However, the ecology and implications of viruses hosted in plastisphere habitats remain poorly understood, highlighting their fundamental importance as a subject of study. This review explores various pathways for virus attachment to plastispheres, factors influencing these interactions, their impacts within plastisphere and host-associated environments, and associated issues. It also summarizes current research and identifies knowledge gaps. We anticipate that this paper will help improve our predictive understanding of plastisphere viruses in natural settings and emphasizes the need for more research in real-world environments to advance the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gurusamy Kutralam-Muniasamy
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Av Instituto Politécnico Nacional 2508, San Pedro Zacatenco, Gustavo A. Madero, 07360 Ciudad de México, México.
| | - V C Shruti
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Av Instituto Politécnico Nacional 2508, San Pedro Zacatenco, Gustavo A. Madero, 07360 Ciudad de México, México
| | - Fermín Pérez-Guevara
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Av Instituto Politécnico Nacional 2508, San Pedro Zacatenco, Gustavo A. Madero, 07360 Ciudad de México, México; Nanoscience & Nanotechnology Program, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Av Instituto Politécnico Nacional 2508, San Pedro Zacatenco, Gustavo A. Madero, 07360 Ciudad de México, México
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3
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Rodea M GE, González-Villalobos E, Espinoza-Mellado MDR, Hernández-Chiñas U, Eslava-Campos CA, Balcázar JL, Molina-López J. Genomic analysis of a novel phage vB_SenS_ST1UNAM with lytic activity against Salmonella enterica serotypes. Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis 2024; 109:116305. [PMID: 38643675 DOI: 10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2024.116305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 03/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
In this study, we present the complete annotated genome of a novel Salmonella phage, vB_SenS_ST1UNAM. This phage exhibits lytic activity against several Salmonella enterica serotypes, such as S. Typhi, S. Enteritidis, and S. Typhimurium strains, which are major causes of foodborne illness worldwide. Its genome consists of a linear, double-stranded DNA of 47,877 bp with an average G+C content of 46.6%. A total of 85 coding regions (CDS) were predicted, of which only 43 CDS were functionally assigned. Neither genes involved in the regulation of lysogeny, nor antibiotic resistance genes were identified. This phage harbors a lytic cassette that encodes a type II-holin and a Rz/Rz1-like spanin complex, along with a restriction-modification evasion system and a depolymerase that degrades Salmonella exopolysaccharide. Moreover, the comparative analysis with closely related phage genomes revealed that vB_SenS_ST1UNAM represents a novel genus, for which the genus "Gomezvirus" within the subfamily "ST1UNAM-like" is proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerardo E Rodea M
- Laboratorio de Patogenicidad Bacteriana, Unidad de Hemato-Oncología e Investigación. Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez/Facultad de Medicina UNAM, C.P. 06720 Mexico City, Mexico; Unidad de Investigación en Enfermedades Infecciosas Área de Genética Bacteriana, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Edgar González-Villalobos
- Laboratorio de Epidemiología Molecular División de Investigación, departamento de Salud Pública, Facultad de Medicina UNAM, C.P. 06720 Mexico City, Mexico
| | - María Del Rosario Espinoza-Mellado
- Central de Instrumentación de Microscopía, Depto. Investigación, Instituto Politécnico Nacional-Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas (IPN-ENCB), Prolongación de Carpio y Plan de Ayala, Mexico City 11340, México
| | - Ulises Hernández-Chiñas
- Unidad Periférica de Investigación Básica y Clínica en Enfermedades Infecciosas; Departamento de Salud Pública/División de Investigación, Facultad de Medicina, UNAM, C.P. 04510. Mexico City, Mexico; Laboratorio de Patogenicidad Bacteriana, Unidad de Hemato-Oncología e Investigación. Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez/Facultad de Medicina UNAM, C.P. 06720 Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Carlos Alberto Eslava-Campos
- Unidad Periférica de Investigación Básica y Clínica en Enfermedades Infecciosas; Departamento de Salud Pública/División de Investigación, Facultad de Medicina, UNAM, C.P. 04510. Mexico City, Mexico; Laboratorio de Patogenicidad Bacteriana, Unidad de Hemato-Oncología e Investigación. Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez/Facultad de Medicina UNAM, C.P. 06720 Mexico City, Mexico
| | - José Luis Balcázar
- Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA). 17003, Girona, Spain; University of Girona. 17004 Girona, Spain
| | - José Molina-López
- Unidad Periférica de Investigación Básica y Clínica en Enfermedades Infecciosas; Departamento de Salud Pública/División de Investigación, Facultad de Medicina, UNAM, C.P. 04510. Mexico City, Mexico; Laboratorio de Patogenicidad Bacteriana, Unidad de Hemato-Oncología e Investigación. Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez/Facultad de Medicina UNAM, C.P. 06720 Mexico City, Mexico.
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Burnim AA, Dufault-Thompson K, Jiang X. The three-sided right-handed β-helix is a versatile fold for glycan interactions. Glycobiology 2024; 34:cwae037. [PMID: 38767844 PMCID: PMC11129586 DOI: 10.1093/glycob/cwae037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2024] [Revised: 05/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Interactions between proteins and glycans are critical to various biological processes. With databases of carbohydrate-interacting proteins and increasing amounts of structural data, the three-sided right-handed β-helix (RHBH) has emerged as a significant structural fold for glycan interactions. In this review, we provide an overview of the sequence, mechanistic, and structural features that enable the RHBH to interact with glycans. The RHBH is a prevalent fold that exists in eukaryotes, prokaryotes, and viruses associated with adhesin and carbohydrate-active enzyme (CAZyme) functions. An evolutionary trajectory analysis on structurally characterized RHBH-containing proteins shows that they likely evolved from carbohydrate-binding proteins with their carbohydrate-degrading activities evolving later. By examining three polysaccharide lyase and three glycoside hydrolase structures, we provide a detailed view of the modes of glycan binding in RHBH proteins. The 3-dimensional shape of the RHBH creates an electrostatically and spatially favorable glycan binding surface that allows for extensive hydrogen bonding interactions, leading to favorable and stable glycan binding. The RHBH is observed to be an adaptable domain capable of being modified with loop insertions and charge inversions to accommodate heterogeneous and flexible glycans and diverse reaction mechanisms. Understanding this prevalent protein fold can advance our knowledge of glycan binding in biological systems and help guide the efficient design and utilization of RHBH-containing proteins in glycobiology research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audrey A Burnim
- National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Building 38A, Room 6N607, 8600 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20894 United States
| | - Keith Dufault-Thompson
- National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Building 38A, Room 6N607, 8600 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20894 United States
| | - Xiaofang Jiang
- National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Building 38A, Room 6N607, 8600 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20894 United States
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5
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Greenrod STE, Cazares D, Johnson S, Hector TE, Stevens EJ, MacLean RC, King KC. Warming alters life-history traits and competition in a phage community. Appl Environ Microbiol 2024; 90:e0028624. [PMID: 38624196 PMCID: PMC11107170 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00286-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Host-parasite interactions are highly susceptible to changes in temperature due to mismatches in species thermal responses. In nature, parasites often exist in communities, and responses to temperature are expected to vary between host-parasite pairs. Temperature change thus has consequences for both host-parasite dynamics and parasite-parasite interactions. Here, we investigate the impact of warming (37°C, 40°C, and 42°C) on parasite life-history traits and competition using the opportunistic bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa (host) and a panel of three genetically diverse lytic bacteriophages (parasites). We show that phages vary in their responses to temperature. While 37°C and 40°C did not have a major effect on phage infectivity, infection by two phages was restricted at 42°C. This outcome was attributed to disruption of different phage life-history traits including host attachment and replication inside hosts. Furthermore, we show that temperature mediates competition between phages by altering their competitiveness. These results highlight phage trait variation across thermal regimes with the potential to drive community dynamics. Our results have important implications for eukaryotic viromes and the design of phage cocktail therapies.IMPORTANCEMammalian hosts often elevate their body temperatures through fevers to restrict the growth of bacterial infections. However, the extent to which fever temperatures affect the communities of phages with the ability to parasitize those bacteria remains unclear. In this study, we investigate the impact of warming across a fever temperature range (37°C, 40°C, and 42°C) on phage life-history traits and competition using a bacterium (host) and bacteriophage (parasite) system. We show that phages vary in their responses to temperature due to disruption of different phage life-history traits. Furthermore, we show that temperature can alter phage competitiveness and shape phage-phage competition outcomes. These results suggest that fever temperatures have the potential to restrict phage infectivity and drive phage community dynamics. We discuss implications for the role of temperature in shaping host-parasite interactions more widely.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Daniel Cazares
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Serena Johnson
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Tobias E. Hector
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Emily J. Stevens
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - R. Craig MacLean
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Kayla C. King
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
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6
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Tang M, Yao Z, Liu Y, Ma Z, Zhao D, Mao Z, Wang Y, Chen L, Zhou T. Host immunity involvement in the outcome of phage therapy against hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae infections. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2024:e0142923. [PMID: 38742895 DOI: 10.1128/aac.01429-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Highly encapsulated hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (hvKp) causes severe infections. Bacteriophage therapy, an antibiotic alternative, effectively treats bacterial infections. Phage φFK1979 encoding polysaccharide depolymerases can target and disarm the capsule of hvKp FK1979, showing promise against FK1979 infection. Resistant strains induced by φFK1979 are possibly eliminated by host immunity and new phage phiR3 targeting them. We constructed varied immunocompromised FK1979 infection mouse models to assess the therapy efficacy of φFK1979 alone or in combination with phiR3. Survival rates, bacterial loads, histopathology, inflammation, and immune cell distribution of mice were studied. Prompt and adequate administration of φFK1979, rather than phiR3, significantly improved survival rates in mice with different immune statuses. However, immunocompromised mice showed lower efficacy due to reduced tolerance to low-virulence φFK1979-resistant bacteria compared to immunocompetent mice. Adding phiR3 sequentially greatly enhanced therapy efficacy for them, leading to increased survival rates and notable improvements in pathology and inflammation. Immunocompetent mice exhibited the most favorable response to φFK1979 monotherapy, as their immune system cleared φFK1979-resistant bacteria while avoiding a robust response to phiR3 combating φFK1979-resistant bacteria. This study revealed host immunity involvement in the outcome of phage therapy against infections and introduced, for the first time, personalized phage therapy strategies for hvKp-infected mice with varying immune statuses.IMPORTANCEHypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (hvKp), with high capsular polysaccharide production, can cause severe invasive infections. Capsule-targeting phage poses the potential to fight against hvKp. We previously elucidated that the capsule-targeting phage induces resistance in hvKp, while phage-resistant strains exhibit sensitivity to host innate immunity and new phages targeting them. This indicated that phage-resistant strains can be eliminated by the immune system in immunocompetent patients, whereas they may require treatment with phages targeting resistant bacteria in immunocompromised patients. HvKp can infect individuals with varying immune statuses, including both immunocompetent and immunocompromised/deficient patients. This study, for the first time, developed personalized phage therapy strategies for hvKp-infected mice with different immune statuses, optimizing phage therapy against hvKp infections. This research is expected to provide a theoretical foundation and novel insights for clinical phage therapy against hvKp infections, offering significant societal benefits and clinical value.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miran Tang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Zhuocheng Yao
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yan Liu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Zhexiao Ma
- School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Deyi Zhao
- School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Zhenzhi Mao
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yue Wang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Lijiang Chen
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Tieli Zhou
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
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Wang R, Liu Y, Zhang Y, Yu S, Zhuo H, Huang Y, Lyu J, Lin Y, Zhang X, Mi Z, Liu Y. Identification and characterization of the capsule depolymerase Dpo27 from phage IME-Ap7 specific to Acinetobacter pittii. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2024; 14:1373052. [PMID: 38808067 PMCID: PMC11130378 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2024.1373052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Among the Acinetobacter genus, Acinetobacter pittii stands out as an important opportunistic infection causative agent commonly found in hospital settings, which poses a serious threat to human health. Recently, the high prevalence of carbapenem-resistant A. pittii isolates has created significant therapeutic challenges for clinicians. Bacteriophages and their derived enzymes are promising therapeutic alternatives or adjuncts to antibiotics effective against multidrug-resistant bacterial infections. However, studies investigating the depolymerases specific to A. pittii strains are scarce. In this study, we identified and characterized a capsule depolymerase, Dpo27, encoded by the bacteriophage IME-Ap7, which targets A. pittii. A total of 23 clinical isolates of Acinetobacter spp. were identified as A. pittii (21.91%, 23/105), and seven A. pittii strains with various K locus (KL) types (KL14, KL32, KL38, KL111, KL163, KL207, and KL220) were used as host bacteria for phage screening. The lytic phage IME-Ap7 was isolated using A. pittii 7 (KL220) as an indicator bacterium and was observed for depolymerase activity. A putative tail fiber gene encoding a polysaccharide-degrading enzyme (Dpo27) was identified and expressed. The results of the modified single-spot assay showed that both A. pittii 7 and 1492 were sensitive to Dpo27, which was assigned the KL220 type. After incubation with Dpo27, A. pittii strain was susceptible to killing by human serum; moreover, the protein displayed no hemolytic activity against erythrocytes. Furthermore, the protein exhibited sustained activity across a wide pH range (5.0-10.0) and at temperatures between 20 and 50°C. In summary, the identified capsule depolymerase Dpo27 holds promise as an alternative treatment for combating KL220-type A. pittii infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rentao Wang
- Senior Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, the Eighth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Yannan Liu
- Emergency Medicine Clinical Research Center, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yaqian Zhang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Shijun Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Hailong Zhuo
- Department of Transfusion Medicine, The Fifth Medical Centre of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Yong Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Jinhui Lyu
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Yu Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Xianglilan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Zhiqiang Mi
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Youning Liu
- Senior Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, the Eighth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
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Chen W, Han LM, Chen XZ, Yi PC, Li H, Ren YY, Gao JH, Zhang CY, Huang J, Wang WX, Hu ZL, Hu CM. Engineered endolysin of Klebsiella pneumoniae phage is a potent and broad-spectrum bactericidal agent against "ESKAPEE" pathogens. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1397830. [PMID: 38784808 PMCID: PMC11112412 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1397830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The rise of antimicrobial resistance in ESKAPEE pathogens poses significant clinical challenges, especially in polymicrobial infections. Bacteriophage-derived endolysins offer promise in combating this crisis, but face practical hurdles. Our study focuses on engineering endolysins from a Klebsiella pneumoniae phage, fusing them with ApoE23 and COG133 peptides. We assessed the resulting chimeric proteins' bactericidal activity against ESKAPEE pathogens in vitro. ApoE23-Kp84B (CHU-1) reduced over 3 log units of CFU for A. baumannii, E. faecalis, K. pneumoniae within 1 h, while COG133-Kp84B (CHU-2) showed significant efficacy against S. aureus. COG133-L1-Kp84B, with a GS linker insertion in CHU-2, exhibited outstanding bactericidal activity against E. cloacae and P. aeruginosa. Scanning electron microscopy revealed alterations in bacterial morphology after treatment with engineered endolysins. Notably, CHU-1 demonstrated promising anti-biofilm and anti-persister cell activity against A. baumannii and E. faecalis but had limited efficacy in a bacteremia mouse model of their coinfection. Our findings advance the field of endolysin engineering, facilitating the customization of these proteins to target specific bacterial pathogens. This approach holds promise for the development of personalized therapies tailored to combat ESKAPEE infections effectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Chen
- Department of Tuberculosis, The Second Hospital of Nanjing, Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Li-Mei Han
- Department of Tuberculosis, The Second Hospital of Nanjing, Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
- Clinical Research Center, The Second Hospital of Nanjing, Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiu-Zhen Chen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Hospital of Nanjing, Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Peng-Cheng Yi
- Department of Tuberculosis, The Second Hospital of Nanjing, Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Hui Li
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Yun-Yao Ren
- Department of Tuberculosis, The Second Hospital of Nanjing, Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Jing-Han Gao
- Clinical Research Center, The Second Hospital of Nanjing, Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Cai-Yun Zhang
- Clinical Research Center, The Second Hospital of Nanjing, Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Jing Huang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second Hospital of Nanjing, Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Wei-Xiao Wang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Hospital of Nanjing, Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhi-Liang Hu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Hospital of Nanjing, Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
- Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Chun-Mei Hu
- Department of Tuberculosis, The Second Hospital of Nanjing, Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
- Innovation Center for Infectious Diseases of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing, China
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9
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Flores VS, Amgarten DE, Iha BKV, Ryon KA, Danko D, Tierney BT, Mason C, da Silva AM, Setubal JC. Discovery and description of novel phage genomes from urban microbiomes sampled by the MetaSUB consortium. Sci Rep 2024; 14:7913. [PMID: 38575625 PMCID: PMC10994904 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-58226-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophages are recognized as the most abundant members of microbiomes and have therefore a profound impact on microbial communities through the interactions with their bacterial hosts. The International Metagenomics and Metadesign of Subways and Urban Biomes Consortium (MetaSUB) has sampled mass-transit systems in 60 cities over 3 years using metagenomics, throwing light into these hitherto largely unexplored urban environments. MetaSUB focused primarily on the bacterial community. In this work, we explored MetaSUB metagenomic data in order to recover and analyze bacteriophage genomes. We recovered and analyzed 1714 phage genomes with size at least 40 kbp, from the class Caudoviricetes, the vast majority of which (80%) are novel. The recovered genomes were predicted to belong to temperate (69%) and lytic (31%) phages. Thirty-three of these genomes have more than 200 kbp, and one of them reaches 572 kbp, placing it among the largest phage genomes ever found. In general, the phages tended to be site-specific or nearly so, but 194 genomes could be identified in every city from which phage genomes were retrieved. We predicted hosts for 48% of the phages and observed general agreement between phage abundance and the respective bacterial host abundance, which include the most common nosocomial multidrug-resistant pathogens. A small fraction of the phage genomes are carriers of antibiotic resistance genes, and such genomes tended to be particularly abundant in the sites where they were found. We also detected CRISPR-Cas systems in five phage genomes. This study expands the previously reported MetaSUB results and is a contribution to the knowledge about phage diversity, global distribution, and phage genome content.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinicius S Flores
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Deyvid E Amgarten
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, 05508-000, Brazil
- Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Bruno Koshin Vázquez Iha
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, 05508-000, Brazil
| | | | | | - Braden T Tierney
- Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Aline Maria da Silva
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, 05508-000, Brazil.
| | - João Carlos Setubal
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, 05508-000, Brazil.
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10
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Manohar P, Loh B, Turner D, Tamizhselvi R, Mathankumar M, Elangovan N, Nachimuthu R, Leptihn S. In vitro and in vivo evaluation of the biofilm-degrading Pseudomonas phage Motto, as a candidate for phage therapy. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1344962. [PMID: 38559352 PMCID: PMC10978715 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1344962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Infections caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa are becoming increasingly difficult to treat due to the emergence of strains that have acquired multidrug resistance. Therefore, phage therapy has gained attention as an alternative to the treatment of pseudomonal infections. Phages are not only bactericidal but occasionally show activity against biofilm as well. In this study, we describe the Pseudomonas phage Motto, a T1-like phage that can clear P. aeruginosa infections in an animal model and also exhibits biofilm-degrading properties. The phage has a substantial anti-biofilm activity against strong biofilm-producing isolates (n = 10), with at least a twofold reduction within 24 h. To demonstrate the safety of using phage Motto, cytotoxicity studies were conducted with human cell lines (HEK 293 and RAW 264.7 macrophages). Using a previously established in vivo model, we demonstrated the efficacy of Motto in Caenorhabditis elegans, with a 90% survival rate when treated with the phage at a multiplicity of infection of 10.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prasanth Manohar
- School of Bioscience and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, India
| | - Belinda Loh
- Department of Vaccines and Infection Models, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Leipzig, Germany
| | - Dann Turner
- School of Applied Sciences, College of Health, Science and Society, University of the West of England, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Ramasamy Tamizhselvi
- School of Bioscience and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, India
| | - Marimuthu Mathankumar
- School of Bioscience and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, India
| | - Namasivayam Elangovan
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Bioscience, Periyar University, Salem, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Ramesh Nachimuthu
- School of Bioscience and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, India
| | - Sebastian Leptihn
- Department of Biochemistry, Health and Medical University, Erfurt, Germany
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
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11
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Ye TJ, Fung KM, Lee IM, Ko TP, Lin CY, Wong CL, Tu IF, Huang TY, Yang FL, Chang YP, Wang JT, Lin TL, Huang KF, Wu SH. Klebsiella pneumoniae K2 capsular polysaccharide degradation by a bacteriophage depolymerase does not require trimer formation. mBio 2024; 15:e0351923. [PMID: 38349137 PMCID: PMC10936425 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03519-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
K2-capsular Klebsiella pneumoniae is a hypervirulent pathogen that causes fatal infections. Here, we describe a phage tailspike protein, named K2-2, that specifically depolymerizes the K2 capsular polysaccharide (CPS) of K. pneumoniae into tetrasaccharide repeating units. Nearly half of the products contained O-acetylation, which was thought crucial to the immunogenicity of CPS. The product-bound structures of this trimeric enzyme revealed intersubunit carbohydrate-binding grooves, each accommodating three tetrasaccharide units of K2 CPS. The catalytic residues and the key interactions responsible for K2 CPS recognition were identified and verified by site-directed mutagenesis. Further biophysical and functional characterization, along with the structure of a tetrameric form of K2-2, demonstrated that the formation of intersubunit catalytic center does not require trimerization, which could be nearly completely disrupted by a single-residue mutation in the C-terminal domain. Our findings regarding the assembly and catalysis of K2-2 provide cues for the development of glycoconjugate vaccines against K. pneumoniae infection. IMPORTANCE Generating fragments of capsular polysaccharides from pathogenic bacteria with crucial antigenic determinants for vaccine development continues to pose challenges. The significance of the C-terminal region of phage tailspike protein (TSP) in relation to its folding and trimer formation remains largely unexplored. The polysaccharide depolymerase described here demonstrates the ability to depolymerize the K2 CPS of K. pneumoniae into tetrasaccharide fragments while retaining the vital O-acetylation modification crucial for immunogenicity. By carefully characterizing the enzyme, elucidating its three-dimensional structures, conducting site-directed mutagenesis, and assessing the antimicrobial efficacy of the mutant enzymes against K2 K. pneumoniae, we offer valuable insights into the mechanism by which this enzyme recognizes and depolymerizes the K2 CPS. Our findings, particularly the discovery that trimer formation is not required for depolymerizing activity, challenge the current understanding of trimer-dependent TSP activity and highlight the catalytic mechanism of the TSP with an intersubunit catalytic center.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting-Juan Ye
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Kit-Man Fung
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - I-Ming Lee
- Department of Marine Biotechnology and Resources, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Tzu-Ping Ko
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Yi Lin
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Ling Wong
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - I-Fan Tu
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Tzu-Yin Huang
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Feng-Ling Yang
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Pei Chang
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Jin-Town Wang
- Department of Microbiology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Tzu-Lung Lin
- Department of Microbiology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Kai-Fa Huang
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shih-Hsiung Wu
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
- Institute of Biochemical Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
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12
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Liu Y, Wang J, Zhao R, Liu X, Dong Y, Shi W, Jiang H, Guan X. Bacterial isolation and genome analysis of a novel Klebsiella quasipneumoniae phage in southwest China's karst area. Virol J 2024; 21:56. [PMID: 38448926 PMCID: PMC10916049 DOI: 10.1186/s12985-024-02321-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Southwest China is one of the largest karst regions in the world. Karst environment is relatively fragile and vulnerable to human activities. Due to the discharge of sewage and domestic garbage, the karst system may be polluted by pathogenic bacteria. The detection of bacterial distribution and identification of phage capable of infecting them is an important approach for environmental assessment and resource acquisition. METHODS Bacteria and phages were isolated from karst water in southwest China using the plate scribing and double plate method, respectively. Isolated phage was defined by transmission electron microscopy, one-step growth curve and optimal multiplicity of infection (MOI). Genomic sequencing, phylogenetic analysis, comparative genomic and proteomic analysis were performed. RESULTS A Klebsiella quasipneumoniae phage was isolated from 32 isolates and named KL01. KL01 is morphologically identified as Caudoviricetes with an optimal MOI of 0.1, an incubation period of 10 min, and a lysis period of 60 min. The genome length of KL01 is about 45 kb, the GC content is 42.5%, and it contains 59 open reading frames. The highest average nucleotide similarity between KL01 and a known Klebsiella phage 6939 was 83.04%. CONCLUSIONS KL01 is a novel phage, belonging to the Autophagoviridae, which has strong lytic ability. This study indicates that there were not only some potential potentially pathogenic bacteria in the karst environment, but also phage resources for exploration and application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanju Liu
- School of Ocean Sciences, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), No. 29 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, 100083, Beijing, China
| | - Jinfeng Wang
- College of Food Science & Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, 100083, Beijing, China
| | - Ruoyu Zhao
- School of Ocean Sciences, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), No. 29 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, 100083, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoping Liu
- School of Ocean Sciences, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), No. 29 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, 100083, Beijing, China
| | - Yang Dong
- School of Ocean Sciences, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), No. 29 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, 100083, Beijing, China
| | - Wenyu Shi
- College of Food Science & Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, 100083, Beijing, China
| | - Hongchen Jiang
- School of Ocean Sciences, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), No. 29 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, 100083, Beijing, China
| | - Xiangyu Guan
- School of Ocean Sciences, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), No. 29 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, 100083, Beijing, China.
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13
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Shanmugasundaram S, Nayak N, Puzhankara L, Kedlaya MN, Rajagopal A, Karmakar S. Bacteriophages: the dawn of a new era in periodontal microbiology? Crit Rev Microbiol 2024; 50:212-223. [PMID: 36883683 DOI: 10.1080/1040841x.2023.2182667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 01/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
Abstract
The oral microbiome, populated by a diverse range of species, plays a critical role in the initiation and progression of periodontal disease. The most dominant yet little-discussed players in the microbiome, the bacteriophages, influence the health and disease of the host in various ways. They, not only contribute to periodontal health by preventing the colonization of pathogens and disrupting biofilms but also play a role in periodontal disease by upregulating the virulence of periodontal pathogens through the transfer of antibiotic resistance and virulence factors. Since bacteriophages selectively infect only bacterial cells, they have an enormous scope to be used as a therapeutic strategy; recently, phage therapy has been successfully used to treat antibiotic-resistant systemic infections. Their ability to disrupt biofilms widens the scope against periodontal pathogens and dental plaque biofilms in periodontitis. Future research focussing on the oral phageome and phage therapy's effectiveness and safety could pave way for new avenues in periodontal therapy. This review explores our current understanding of bacteriophages, their interactions in the oral microbiome, and their therapeutic potential in periodontal disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shashikiran Shanmugasundaram
- Department of Periodontology, Manipal College of Dental Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India
| | - Namratha Nayak
- Department of Periodontology, Manipal College of Dental Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India
| | - Lakshmi Puzhankara
- Department of Periodontology, Manipal College of Dental Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India
| | - Madhurya N Kedlaya
- Department of Periodontology, Manipal College of Dental Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India
| | - Anjale Rajagopal
- Department of Periodontology, Manipal College of Dental Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India
| | - Shaswata Karmakar
- Department of Periodontology, Manipal College of Dental Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India
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14
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Lucidi M, Imperi F, Artuso I, Capecchi G, Spagnoli C, Visaggio D, Rampioni G, Leoni L, Visca P. Phage-mediated colistin resistance in Acinetobacter baumannii. Drug Resist Updat 2024; 73:101061. [PMID: 38301486 DOI: 10.1016/j.drup.2024.101061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
AIMS Antimicrobial resistance is a global threat to human health, and Acinetobacter baumannii is a paradigmatic example of how rapidly bacteria become resistant to clinically relevant antimicrobials. The emergence of multidrug-resistant A. baumannii strains has forced the revival of colistin as a last-resort drug, suddenly leading to the emergence of colistin resistance. We investigated the genetic and molecular basis of colistin resistance in A. baumannii, and the mechanisms implicated in its regulation and dissemination. METHODS Comparative genomic analysis was combined with genetic, biochemical, and phenotypic assays to characterize Φ19606, an A. baumannii temperate bacteriophage that carries a colistin resistance gene. RESULTS Ф19606 was detected in 41% of 523 A. baumannii complete genomes and demonstrated to act as a mobile vehicle of the colistin resistance gene eptA1, encoding a functional lipid A phosphoethanolamine transferase. The eptA1 gene is coregulated with its chromosomal homolog pmrC via the PmrAB two-component system and confers colistin resistance when induced by low calcium and magnesium levels. Resistance selection assays showed that the eptA1-harbouring phage Ф19606 promotes the emergence of spontaneous colistin-resistant mutants. CONCLUSIONS Φ19606 is an unprecedented example of a self-transmissible phage vector implicated in the dissemination of colistin resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Massimiliano Lucidi
- Department of Science, Roma Tre University, Viale G. Marconi 446, 00146 Rome, Italy; NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, piazza Marina 61, 90133 Palermo, Italy.
| | - Francesco Imperi
- Department of Science, Roma Tre University, Viale G. Marconi 446, 00146 Rome, Italy; NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, piazza Marina 61, 90133 Palermo, Italy; Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS, Via Ardeatina 306/354, 00179 Rome, Italy
| | - Irene Artuso
- Department of Science, Roma Tre University, Viale G. Marconi 446, 00146 Rome, Italy
| | - Giulia Capecchi
- Department of Science, Roma Tre University, Viale G. Marconi 446, 00146 Rome, Italy
| | - Cinzia Spagnoli
- Department of Science, Roma Tre University, Viale G. Marconi 446, 00146 Rome, Italy
| | - Daniela Visaggio
- Department of Science, Roma Tre University, Viale G. Marconi 446, 00146 Rome, Italy; NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, piazza Marina 61, 90133 Palermo, Italy; Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS, Via Ardeatina 306/354, 00179 Rome, Italy
| | - Giordano Rampioni
- Department of Science, Roma Tre University, Viale G. Marconi 446, 00146 Rome, Italy; Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS, Via Ardeatina 306/354, 00179 Rome, Italy
| | - Livia Leoni
- Department of Science, Roma Tre University, Viale G. Marconi 446, 00146 Rome, Italy
| | - Paolo Visca
- Department of Science, Roma Tre University, Viale G. Marconi 446, 00146 Rome, Italy; NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, piazza Marina 61, 90133 Palermo, Italy; Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS, Via Ardeatina 306/354, 00179 Rome, Italy.
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15
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Fortaleza JAG, Ong CJN, De Jesus R. Efficacy and clinical potential of phage therapy in treating methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections: A review. Eur J Microbiol Immunol (Bp) 2024; 14:13-25. [PMID: 38305804 PMCID: PMC10895361 DOI: 10.1556/1886.2023.00064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus infections have already presented a substantial public health challenge, encompassing different clinical manifestations, ranging from bacteremia to sepsis and multi-organ failures. Among these infections, methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) is particularly alarming due to its well-documented resistance to multiple classes of antibiotics, contributing significantly to global mortality rates. Consequently, the urgent need for effective treatment options has prompted a growing interest in exploring phage therapy as a potential non-antibiotic treatment against MRSA infections. Phages represent a class of highly specific bacterial viruses known for their ability to infect certain bacterial strains. This review paper explores the clinical potential of phages as a treatment for MRSA infections due to their low toxicity and auto-dosing capabilities. The paper also discusses the synergistic effect of phage-antibiotic combination (PAC) and the promising results from in vitro and animal model studies, which could lead to extensive human clinical trials. However, clinicians need to establish and adhere to standard protocols governing phage administration and implementation. Prominent clinical trials are needed to develop and advance phage therapy as a non-antibiotic therapy intervention, meeting regulatory guidelines, logistical requirements, and ethical considerations, potentially revolutionizing the treatment of MRSA infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamil Allen G Fortaleza
- 1Senior High School Department, NU Fairview Incorporated, Quezon City, 1118, Philippines
- 2National University, Philippines, Sampaloc, Manila, 1008, Philippines
| | | | - Rener De Jesus
- 4Department of Biology, College of Science, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain 15551, United Arab Emirates
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16
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Vitt AR, Sørensen AN, Bojer MS, Bortolaia V, Sørensen MCH, Brøndsted L. Diverse bacteriophages for biocontrol of ESBL- and AmpC-β-lactamase-producing E. coli. iScience 2024; 27:108826. [PMID: 38322997 PMCID: PMC10844046 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.108826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Novel solutions are needed to reduce the risk of transmission of extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) and AmpC β-lactamase producing Escherichia coli (ESBL/AmpC E. coli) from livestock to humans. Given that phages are promising biocontrol agents, a collection of 28 phages that infect ESBL/AmpC E. coli were established. Whole genome sequencing showed that all these phages were unique and could be assigned to 15 different genera. Host range analysis showed that 82% of 198 strains, representing the genetic diversity of ESBL/AmpC E. coli, were sensitive to at least one phage. Identifying receptors used for phage binding experimentally as well as in silico predictions, allowed us to combine phages into two different cocktails with broad host range targeting diverse receptors. These phage cocktails efficiently inhibit the growth of ESBL/AmpC E. coli in vitro, thus suggesting the potential of phages as promising biocontrol agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amira R. Vitt
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Stigbøjlen 4, 1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Anders Nørgaard Sørensen
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Stigbøjlen 4, 1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Martin S. Bojer
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Stigbøjlen 4, 1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Valeria Bortolaia
- Department of Bacteria, Parasites and Fungi, Statens Serum Institut, Artillerivej 5, 2300 Copenhagen S, Denmark
| | - Martine C. Holst Sørensen
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Stigbøjlen 4, 1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Lone Brøndsted
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Stigbøjlen 4, 1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
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17
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Liao YT, Ho KJ, Zhang Y, Salvador A, Wu VCH. A new Rogue-like Escherichia phage UDF157lw to control Escherichia coli O157:H7. Front Microbiol 2024; 14:1302032. [PMID: 38318127 PMCID: PMC10838988 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1302032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157:H7 is one of the notorious foodborne pathogens causing high mortality through the consumption of contaminated food items. The food safety risk from STEC pathogens could escalate when a group of bacterial cells aggregates to form a biofilm. Bacterial biofilm can diminish the effects of various antimicrobial interventions and enhance the pathogenicity of the pathogens. Therefore, there is an urgent need to have effective control measurements. Bacteriophages can kill the target bacterial cells through lytic infection, and some enzymes produced during the infection have the capability to penetrate the biofilm for mitigation compared to traditional interventions. This study aimed to characterize a new Escherichia phage vB_EcoS-UDF157lw (or UDF157lw) and determine its antimicrobial efficacy against E. coli O157:H7. Methods Phage characterization included biological approaches, including phage morphology, one-step growth curve, stability tests (pH and temperature), and genomic approaches (whole-genome sequencing). Later, antimicrobial activity tests, including productive infection against susceptible bacterial strains, in vitro antimicrobial activity, and anti-biofilm, were conducted. Results UDF157lw is a new member of the phages belonging to the Rogunavirus genus, comprising a long and non-contractile tail, isolated from bovine feces and shares close genomic evolutionary similarities with Escherichia phages vB_EcoS-BECP10 and bV_EcoS_AKS96. When used against E. coli O157:H7 (ATCC35150), phage UDF157lw exhibited a latent period of 14 min and a burst size of 110 PFU per infected cell. The phage remained viable in a wide range of pH values (pH 4-11) and temperatures (4-60°C). No virulence genes, such as stx, lysogenic genes, and antibiotic resistance genes, were found. Phage UDF157lw demonstrated high infection efficiencies against different E. coli O157:H7 and generic E. coli strains. In addition, UDF157lw encoded a unique major tail protein (ORF_26) with prominent depolymerase enzyme activity against various E. coli O157:H7 strains, causing large plaque sizes. In contrast to the phage without encoding depolymerase gene, UDF157lw was able to reduce the 24-h and 48-h E. coli O157:H7 biofilm after 1-h phage treatment. Discussion The findings of this study provide insights into a new member of the Rogunavirus phages and demonstrate its antimicrobial potential against E. coli O157:H7 in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Vivian C. H. Wu
- Produce Safety and Microbiology Research Unit, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Western Regional Research Center, Albany, CA, United States
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18
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Chaudhary V, Kajla P, Lather D, Chaudhary N, Dangi P, Singh P, Pandiselvam R. Bacteriophages: a potential game changer in food processing industry. Crit Rev Biotechnol 2024:1-25. [PMID: 38228500 DOI: 10.1080/07388551.2023.2299768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
In the food industry, despite the widespread use of interventions such as preservatives and thermal and non-thermal processing technologies to improve food safety, incidences of foodborne disease continue to happen worldwide, prompting the search for alternative strategies. Bacteriophages, commonly known as phages, have emerged as a promising alternative for controlling pathogenic bacteria in food. This review emphasizes the potential applications of phages in biological sciences, food processing, and preservation, with a particular focus on their role as biocontrol agents for improving food quality and preservation. By shedding light on recent developments and future possibilities, this review highlights the significance of phages in the food industry. Additionally, it addresses crucial aspects such as regulatory status and safety concerns surrounding the use of bacteriophages. The inclusion of up-to-date literature further underscores the relevance of phage-based strategies in reducing foodborne pathogenic bacteria's presence in both food and the production environment. As we look ahead, new phage products are likely to be targeted against emerging foodborne pathogens. This will further advance the efficacy of approaches that are based on phages in maintaining the safety and security of food.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vandana Chaudhary
- Department of Dairy Technology, College of Dairy Science and Technology, Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar, Haryana, India
| | - Priyanka Kajla
- Department of Food Technology, Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology, Hisar, Haryana, India
| | - Deepika Lather
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar, Haryana, India
| | - Nisha Chaudhary
- Department of Food Science and Technology, College of Agriculture, Agriculture University, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
| | - Priya Dangi
- Department of Food and Nutrition and Food Technology, Institute of Home Economics, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | - Punit Singh
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Institute of Engineering and Technology, GLA University Mathura, Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Ravi Pandiselvam
- Physiology, Biochemistry and Post-Harvest Technology Division, ICAR -Central Plantation Crops Research Institute, Kasaragod, Kerala, India
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Johno D, Zhang Y, Mohammadi TN, Zhao J, Lin Y, Wang C, Lu Y, Abdelaziz MNS, Maung AT, Lin CY, El-Telbany M, Lwin SZC, Damaso CH, Masuda Y, Honjoh KI, Miyamoto T. Characterization of selected phages for biocontrol of food-spoilage pseudomonads. Int Microbiol 2024:10.1007/s10123-023-00479-2. [PMID: 38206524 DOI: 10.1007/s10123-023-00479-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Pseudomonas spp., such as P. fluorescens group, P. fragi, and P. putida, are the major psychrophilic spoilage bacteria in the food industry. Bacteriophages (phages) are a promising tool for controlling food-spoilage and food-poisoning bacteria; however, there are few reports on phages effective on food-spoilage bacteria such as Pseudomonas spp. In this study, 12 Pseudomonas phages were isolated from chicken and soil samples. Based on the host range and lytic activity at 30 °C and 4 °C and various combinations of phages, phages vB_PflP-PCS4 and vB_PflP-PCW2 were selected to prepare phage cocktails to control Pseudomonas spp. The phage cocktail consisting of vB_PflP-PCS4 and vB_PflP-PCW2 showed the strongest lytic activity and retarded regrowth of P. fluorescens and P. putida at 30 °C, 8 °C, and 4 °C at a multiplicity of infection of 100. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the genomic DNA indicated that vB_PflP-PCS4 and vB_PflP-PCW2 phages were lytic phages of the Podoviridae family and lacked tRNA, toxin, or virulence genes. A novel endolysin gene was found in the genomic DNA of phage vB_PflP-PCS4. The results of this study suggest that the phage cocktail consisting of vB_PflP-PCS4 and vB_PflP-PCW2 is a promising tool for the biocontrol of psychrophilic food-spoilage pseudomonads during cold storage and distribution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daisuke Johno
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-Ku, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan
| | - Yu Zhang
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-Ku, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Tahir Noor Mohammadi
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-Ku, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan
| | - Junxin Zhao
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-Ku, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330047, China
| | - Yunzhi Lin
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-Ku, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan
| | - Chen Wang
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-Ku, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan
| | - Yuan Lu
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-Ku, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan
| | - Marwa Nabil Sayed Abdelaziz
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-Ku, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan
| | - Aye Thida Maung
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-Ku, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan
| | - Chen-Yu Lin
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-Ku, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan
| | - Mohamed El-Telbany
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-Ku, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan
| | - Su Zar Chi Lwin
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-Ku, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan
| | - Catherine Hofilena Damaso
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-Ku, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan
| | - Yoshimitsu Masuda
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-Ku, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan
| | - Ken-Ichi Honjoh
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-Ku, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan
| | - Takahisa Miyamoto
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-Ku, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan.
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20
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Łubkowska B, Sobolewski I, Adamowicz K, Zylicz-Stachula A, Skowron PM. Recombinant TP-84 Bacteriophage Glycosylase-Depolymerase Confers Activity against Thermostable Geobacillus stearothermophilus via Capsule Degradation. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:722. [PMID: 38255796 PMCID: PMC10815759 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25020722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The TP-84 bacteriophage, which infects Geobacillus stearothermophilus strain 10 (G. stearothermophilus), has a genome size of 47.7 kilobase pairs (kbps) and contains 81 predicted protein-coding ORFs. One of these, TP84_26 encodes a putative tail fiber protein possessing capsule depolymerase activity. In this study, we cloned the TP84_26 gene into a high-expression Escherichia coli (E. coli) system, modified its N-terminus with His-tag, expressed both the wild type gene and His-tagged variant, purified the recombinant depolymerase variants, and further evaluated their properties. We developed a direct enzymatic assay for the depolymerase activity toward G. stearothermophilus capsules. The recombinant TP84_26 protein variants effectively degraded the existing bacterial capsules and inhibited the formation of new ones. Our results provide insights into the novel TP84_26 depolymerase with specific activity against thermostable G. stearothermophilus and its role in the TP-84 life cycle. The identification and characterization of novel depolymerases, such as TP84_26, hold promise for innovative strategies to combat bacterial infections and improve various industrial processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beata Łubkowska
- Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Gdansk University of Physical Education and Sport, K. Gorskiego 1, 80-336 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Ireneusz Sobolewski
- Faculty of Chemistry, Department of Molecular Biotechnology, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland; (I.S.); (K.A.); (A.Z.-S.); (P.M.S.)
| | - Katarzyna Adamowicz
- Faculty of Chemistry, Department of Molecular Biotechnology, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland; (I.S.); (K.A.); (A.Z.-S.); (P.M.S.)
| | - Agnieszka Zylicz-Stachula
- Faculty of Chemistry, Department of Molecular Biotechnology, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland; (I.S.); (K.A.); (A.Z.-S.); (P.M.S.)
| | - Piotr M. Skowron
- Faculty of Chemistry, Department of Molecular Biotechnology, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland; (I.S.); (K.A.); (A.Z.-S.); (P.M.S.)
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21
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Yang Y, Dufault-Thompson K, Yan W, Cai T, Xie L, Jiang X. Large-scale genomic survey with deep learning-based method reveals strain-level phage specificity determinants. Gigascience 2024; 13:giae017. [PMID: 38649301 PMCID: PMC11034027 DOI: 10.1093/gigascience/giae017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 03/24/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Phage therapy, reemerging as a promising approach to counter antimicrobial-resistant infections, relies on a comprehensive understanding of the specificity of individual phages. Yet the significant diversity within phage populations presents a considerable challenge. Currently, there is a notable lack of tools designed for large-scale characterization of phage receptor-binding proteins, which are crucial in determining the phage host range. RESULTS In this study, we present SpikeHunter, a deep learning method based on the ESM-2 protein language model. With SpikeHunter, we identified 231,965 diverse phage-encoded tailspike proteins, a crucial determinant of phage specificity that targets bacterial polysaccharide receptors, across 787,566 bacterial genomes from 5 virulent, antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Notably, 86.60% (143,200) of these proteins exhibited strong associations with specific bacterial polysaccharides. We discovered that phages with identical tailspike proteins can infect different bacterial species with similar polysaccharide receptors, underscoring the pivotal role of tailspike proteins in determining host range. The specificity is mainly attributed to the protein's C-terminal domain, which strictly correlates with host specificity during domain swapping in tailspike proteins. Importantly, our dataset-driven predictions of phage-host specificity closely match the phage-host pairs observed in real-world phage therapy cases we studied. CONCLUSIONS Our research provides a rich resource, including both the method and a database derived from a large-scale genomics survey. This substantially enhances understanding of phage specificity determinants at the strain level and offers a valuable framework for guiding phage selection in therapeutic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiyan Yang
- National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20894, USA
| | | | - Wei Yan
- National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20894, USA
| | - Tian Cai
- Ph.D. Program in Computer Science, The Graduate Center, The City University of New York, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Lei Xie
- Ph.D. Program in Computer Science, The Graduate Center, The City University of New York, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Department of Computer Science, Hunter College, The City University of New York, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Xiaofang Jiang
- National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20894, USA
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22
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Wang H, Liu Y, Bai C, Leung SSY. Translating bacteriophage-derived depolymerases into antibacterial therapeutics: Challenges and prospects. Acta Pharm Sin B 2024; 14:155-169. [PMID: 38239242 PMCID: PMC10792971 DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2023.08.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Predatory bacteriophages have evolved a vast array of depolymerases for bacteria capture and deprotection. These depolymerases are enzymes responsible for degrading diverse bacterial surface carbohydrates. They are exploited as antibiofilm agents and antimicrobial adjuvants while rarely inducing bacterial resistance, making them an invaluable asset in the era of antibiotic resistance. Numerous depolymerases have been investigated preclinically, with evidence indicating that depolymerases with appropriate dose regimens can safely and effectively combat different multidrug-resistant pathogens in animal infection models. Additionally, some formulation approaches have been developed for improved stability and activity of depolymerases. However, depolymerase formulation is limited to liquid dosage form and remains in its infancy, posing a significant hurdle to their clinical translation, compounded by challenges in their applicability and manufacturing. Future development must address these obstacles for clinical utility. Here, after unravelling the history, diversity, and therapeutic use of depolymerases, we summarized the preclinical efficacy and existing formulation findings of recombinant depolymerases. Finally, the challenges and perspectives of depolymerases as therapeutics for humans were assessed to provide insights for their further development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Honglan Wang
- School of Pharmacy, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Yannan Liu
- Emergency Medicine Clinical Research Center, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, China
| | - Changqing Bai
- Department of Respiratory, Shenzhen University General Hospital, Shenzhen University Clinical Medical Academy, Guangdong 518055, China
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23
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Vacheron J, Heiman CM, Garneau JR, Kupferschmied P, de Jonge R, Garrido-Sanz D, Keel C. Molecular and evolutionary basis of O-antigenic polysaccharide-driven phage sensitivity in environmental pseudomonads. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0204923. [PMID: 37800913 PMCID: PMC10715155 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02049-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE The application of plant-beneficial microorganisms to protect crop plants is a promising alternative to the usage of chemicals. However, biocontrol research often faces difficulties in implementing this approach due to the inconsistency of the bacterial inoculant to establish itself within the root microbiome. Beneficial bacterial inoculants can be decimated by the presence of their natural predators, notably bacteriophages (also called phages). Thus, it is important to gain knowledge regarding the mechanisms behind phage-bacteria interactions to overcome this challenge. Here, we evidence that the major long O-antigenic polysaccharide (O-PS, O-antigen) of the widely used model plant-beneficial bacterium Pseudomonas protegens CHA0 is the receptor of its natural predator, the phage ΦGP100. We examined the distribution of the gene cluster directing the synthesis of this O-PS and identified signatures of horizontal gene acquisitions. Altogether, our study highlights the importance of bacterial cell surface structure variation in the complex interplay between phages and their Pseudomonas hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan Vacheron
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Clara M. Heiman
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Julian R. Garneau
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Peter Kupferschmied
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Ronnie de Jonge
- Plant-Microbe Interactions, Department of Biology, Science4Life, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Daniel Garrido-Sanz
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Christoph Keel
- Department of Fundamental Microbiology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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24
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Letarov AV. Bacterial Virus Forcing of Bacterial O-Antigen Shields: Lessons from Coliphages. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:17390. [PMID: 38139217 PMCID: PMC10743462 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242417390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
In most Gram-negative bacteria, outer membrane (OM) lipopolysaccharide (LPS) molecules carry long polysaccharide chains known as the O antigens or O polysaccharides (OPS). The OPS structure varies highly from strain to strain, with more than 188 O serotypes described in E. coli. Although many bacteriophages recognize OPS as their primary receptors, these molecules can also screen OM proteins and other OM surface receptors from direct interaction with phage receptor-binding proteins (RBP). In this review, I analyze the body of evidence indicating that most of the E. coli OPS types robustly shield cells completely, preventing phage access to the OM surface. This shield not only blocks virulent phages but also restricts the acquisition of prophages. The available data suggest that OPS-mediated OM shielding is not merely one of many mechanisms of bacterial resistance to phages. Rather, it is an omnipresent factor significantly affecting the ecology, phage-host co-evolution and other related processes in E. coli and probably in many other species of Gram-negative bacteria. The phages, in turn, evolved multiple mechanisms to break through the OPS layer. These mechanisms rely on the phage RBPs recognizing the OPS or on using alternative receptors exposed above the OPS layer. The data allow one to forward the interpretation that, regardless of the type of receptors used, primary receptor recognition is always followed by the generation of a mechanical force driving the phage tail through the OPS layer. This force may be created by molecular motors of enzymatically active tail spikes or by virion structural re-arrangements at the moment of infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrey V Letarov
- Winogradsky Institute of Micrbiology, Research Center Fundamentals of Biotechnology RAS, pr. 60-letiya Oktyabrya 7 bld. 2, Moscow 117312, Russia
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25
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Concha-Eloko R, Barberán-Martínez P, Sanjuán R, Domingo-Calap P. Broad-range capsule-dependent lytic Sugarlandvirus against Klebsiella sp. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0429822. [PMID: 37882584 PMCID: PMC10714931 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.04298-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE The emergence of multi-drug resistant bacteria is a global health problem. Among them, Klebsiella pneumoniae is considered a high-priority pathogen, making it necessary to develop new therapeutic tools to reduce the bacterial burden in an effective and sustainable manner. Phages, bacterial viruses, are very promising tools. However, phages are highy specific, rendering large-scale therapeutics costly to implement. This is especially certain in Klebsiella, a capsular bacterium in which phages have been shown to be capsular type dependent, infecting one or a few capsular types through specific enzymes called depolymerases. In this study, we have isolated and characterized novel phages with lytic ability against bacteria from a wide variety of capsular types, representing the Klebsiella phages with the widest range of infection described. Remarkably, these broad-range phages showed capsule dependency, despite the absence of depolymerases in their genomes, implying that infectivity could be governed by alternative mechanisms yet to be uncovered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robby Concha-Eloko
- Instituto de Biología Integrativa de Sistemas, Universitat de València-CSIC, Paterna, Spain
| | | | - Rafael Sanjuán
- Instituto de Biología Integrativa de Sistemas, Universitat de València-CSIC, Paterna, Spain
| | - Pilar Domingo-Calap
- Instituto de Biología Integrativa de Sistemas, Universitat de València-CSIC, Paterna, Spain
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26
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Zhou K, Wong TY, Long L, Anantharaman K, Zhang W, Wong WC, Zhang R, Qian PY. Genomic and transcriptomic insights into complex virus-prokaryote interactions in marine biofilms. THE ISME JOURNAL 2023; 17:2303-2312. [PMID: 37875603 PMCID: PMC10689801 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-023-01546-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023]
Abstract
Marine biofilms are complex communities of microorganisms that play a crucial ecological role in oceans. Although prokaryotes are the dominant members of these biofilms, little is known about their interactions with viruses. By analysing publicly available and newly sequenced metagenomic data, we identified 2446 virus-prokaryote connections in 84 marine biofilms. Most of these connections were between the bacteriophages in the Uroviricota phylum and the bacteria of Proteobacteria, Cyanobacteria and Bacteroidota. The network of virus-host pairs is complex; a single virus can infect multiple prokaryotic populations or a single prokaryote is susceptible to several viral populations. Analysis of genomes of paired prokaryotes and viruses revealed the presence of 425 putative auxiliary metabolic genes (AMGs), 239 viral genes related to restriction-modification (RM) systems and 38,538 prokaryotic anti-viral defence-related genes involved in 15 defence systems. Transcriptomic evidence from newly established biofilms revealed the expression of viral genes, including AMGs and RM, and prokaryotic defence systems, indicating the active interplay between viruses and prokaryotes. A comparison between biofilms and seawater showed that biofilm prokaryotes have more abundant defence genes than seawater prokaryotes, and the defence gene composition differs between biofilms and the surrounding seawater. Overall, our study unveiled active viruses in natural biofilms and their complex interplay with prokaryotes, which may result in the blooming of defence strategists in biofilms. The detachment of bloomed defence strategists may reduce the infectivity of viruses in seawater and result in the emergence of a novel role of marine biofilms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun Zhou
- Department of Ocean Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, 511458, China
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Tin Yan Wong
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China
| | - Lexin Long
- Department of Ocean Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China
| | | | - Weipeng Zhang
- Department of Ocean Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China
| | - Wai Chuen Wong
- Department of Ocean Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China
| | - Rui Zhang
- Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China.
| | - Pei-Yuan Qian
- Department of Ocean Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China.
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, 511458, China.
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27
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Sun X, Pu B, Qin J, Xiang J. Effect of a Depolymerase Encoded by Phage168 on a Carbapenem-Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae and Its Biofilm. Pathogens 2023; 12:1396. [PMID: 38133282 PMCID: PMC10745733 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12121396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 11/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Infections caused by carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) are becoming increasingly common within clinical settings, requiring the development of alternative therapies. In this study, we isolated, characterized, and sequenced the genome of a CRKP phage, Phage168. The total genomic DNA of Phage168 was 40,222 bp in length, encoding 49 predicted proteins. Among these proteins, Dep40, the gene product of ORF40, is a putative tail fiber protein that exhibits depolymerase activity based on the result of bioinformatics analyses. In vitro, we confirmed that the molecular weight of the Phage168 depolymerase protein was about 110 kDa, the concentration of the produced phage 168 depolymerase protein was quantified as being 1.2 mg/mL, and the depolymerase activity was still detectable after the dilution of 1.2 µg/mL. This recombinant depolymerase exhibited enzyme activity during the depolymerization of the formed CRKP biofilms. We also found that depolymerase, when combined with polymyxin B, was able to enhance the bactericidal effect of polymyxin B on CRKP strains by disrupting their biofilm. When recombinant depolymerase was used in combination with human serum, it enhanced the sensitivity of the CRKP strain UA168 to human serum, and the synergistic bactericidal effect reached the strongest level when the ratio of depolymerase to human serum was 3:1. Our results indicated that depolymerase encoded by Phage168 may be a promising strategy for combating infections caused by drug-resistant CRKP formed within the biofilm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu Sun
- Department of Burn, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China;
| | - Bingchun Pu
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China; (B.P.); (J.Q.)
| | - Jinhong Qin
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China; (B.P.); (J.Q.)
| | - Jun Xiang
- Department of Burn, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China;
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28
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Wang M, Ning Y, Jiao X, Liu J, Qiao J. Bacteriophages and their derived enzymes as promising alternatives for the treatment of Acinetobacter baumannii infections. Arch Virol 2023; 168:288. [PMID: 37947926 DOI: 10.1007/s00705-023-05910-7] [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: 06/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Nosocomial infections with the opportunistic bacterium Acinetobacter baumannii pose a severe challenge to clinical treatment, which is aggravated by the increasing occurrence of multi-drug resistance, especially resistance to carbapenems. The use of phage therapy as an alternative and supplement to the current antibiotics has become an important research topic in the post-antibiotic era. This review summarizes in vivo and in vitro studies on phage therapy against multi-drug-resistant A. baumannii infection that have used different approaches, including treatment with a single phage, combination with other phages or non-phage agents, and administration of phage-derived enzymes. We also briefly discuss the current challenges of phage-based therapy as well as promising approaches for the treatment of A. baumannii infection in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Menglu Wang
- Department of Medical Laboratory, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, 261053, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Yu Ning
- Department of Medical Laboratory, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, 261053, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Xin Jiao
- Department of Medical Laboratory, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, 261053, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiayi Liu
- Department of Medical Laboratory, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, 261053, Shandong, People's Republic of China
- Department of Basic Medicine, Weifang Nursing Vocational College, Weifang, 262500, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Jinjuan Qiao
- Department of Medical Laboratory, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, 261053, Shandong, People's Republic of China.
- Institutional Key Laboratory of Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics, 12th 5-Year Project of Shandong Province, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, 261053, Shandong, People's Republic of China.
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29
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Grigson SR, Giles SK, Edwards RA, Papudeshi B. Knowing and Naming: Phage Annotation and Nomenclature for Phage Therapy. Clin Infect Dis 2023; 77:S352-S359. [PMID: 37932119 PMCID: PMC10627814 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciad539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophages, or phages, are viruses that infect bacteria shaping microbial communities and ecosystems. They have gained attention as potential agents against antibiotic resistance. In phage therapy, lytic phages are preferred for their bacteria killing ability, while temperate phages, which can transfer antibiotic resistance or toxin genes, are avoided. Selection relies on plaque morphology and genome sequencing. This review outlines annotating genomes, identifying critical genomic features, and assigning functional labels to protein-coding sequences. These annotations prevent the transfer of unwanted genes, such as antimicrobial resistance or toxin genes, during phage therapy. Additionally, it covers International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV)-an established phage nomenclature system for simplified classification and communication. Accurate phage genome annotation and nomenclature provide insights into phage-host interactions, replication strategies, and evolution, accelerating our understanding of the diversity and evolution of phages and facilitating the development of phage-based therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanna R Grigson
- Flinders Accelerator for Microbiome Exploration, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Sarah K Giles
- Flinders Accelerator for Microbiome Exploration, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Robert A Edwards
- Flinders Accelerator for Microbiome Exploration, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Bhavya Papudeshi
- Flinders Accelerator for Microbiome Exploration, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
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30
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Adamczyk-Popławska M, Golec P, Piekarowicz A, Kwiatek A. The potential for bacteriophages and prophage elements in fighting and preventing the gonorrhea. Crit Rev Microbiol 2023:1-16. [PMID: 37897236 DOI: 10.1080/1040841x.2023.2274849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/30/2023]
Abstract
Bacteriophages are the most numerous entities on earth and are found everywhere their bacterial hosts live. As natural bacteria killers, phages are extensively investigated as a potential cure for bacterial infections. Neisseria gonorrhoeae (the gonococcus) is the etiologic agent of a sexually transmitted disease: gonorrhea. The rapid increase of resistance of N. gonorrhoeae to antibiotics urges scientists to look for alternative treatments to combat gonococcal infections. Phage therapy has not been tested as an anti-gonococcal therapy so far. To date, no lytic phage has been discovered against N. gonorrhoeae. Nevertheless, gonococcal genomes contain both dsDNA and ssDNA prophages, and viral particle induction has been documented. In this review, we consider literature data about the attempts of hunting for a bacteriophage specific for gonococci - the gonophage. We also discuss the potential application of prophage elements in the fight against N. gonorrhoeae. Temperate phages may be useful in preventing and treating gonorrhea as a scaffold for anti-gonococcal vaccine development and as a source of lytic enzymes with anti-gonococcal activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Adamczyk-Popławska
- Department of Molecular Virology, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Microbiology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Piotr Golec
- Department of Molecular Virology, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Microbiology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Andrzej Piekarowicz
- Department of Molecular Virology, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Microbiology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Kwiatek
- Department of Molecular Virology, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Microbiology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
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31
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E S, Gummadi SN. Advances in the applications of Bacteriophages and phage products against food-contaminating bacteria. Crit Rev Microbiol 2023:1-26. [PMID: 37861086 DOI: 10.1080/1040841x.2023.2271098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Food-contaminating bacteria pose a threat to food safety and the economy by causing foodborne illnesses and spoilage. Bacteriophages, a group of viruses that infect only bacteria, have the potential to control bacteria throughout the "farm-to-fork continuum". Phage application offers several advantages, including targeted action against specific bacterial strains and minimal impact on the natural microflora of food. This review covers multiple aspects of bacteriophages applications in the food industry, including their use as biocontrol and biopreservation agents to fight over 20 different genera of food-contaminating bacteria, reduce cross-contamination and the risk of foodborne diseases, and also to prolong shelf life and preserve freshness. The review also highlights the benefits of using bacteriophages in bioprocesses to selectively inhibit undesirable bacteria, such as substrate competitors and toxin producers, which is particularly valuable in complex microbial bioprocesses where physical or chemical methods become inadequate. Furthermore, the review briefly discusses other uses of bacteriophages in the food industry, such as sanitizing food processing environments and detecting specific bacteria in food products. The review also explores strategies to enhance the effectiveness of phages, such as employing multi-phage cocktails, encapsulated phages, phage products, and synergistic hurdle approaches by combining them with antimicrobials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suja E
- Applied and Industrial Microbiology Laboratory (AIM Lab), Department of Biotechnology, Bhupat and Jyoti Mehta School of Biosciences, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, India
| | - Sathyanarayana N Gummadi
- Applied and Industrial Microbiology Laboratory (AIM Lab), Department of Biotechnology, Bhupat and Jyoti Mehta School of Biosciences, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, India
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32
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Noreika A, Stankevičiūtė J, Rutkienė R, Meškys R, Kalinienė L. Exploring the enzymatic activity of depolymerase gp531 from Klebsiella pneumoniae jumbo phage RaK2. Virus Res 2023; 336:199225. [PMID: 37741345 PMCID: PMC10550766 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2023.199225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/25/2023]
Abstract
Klebsiella pneumoniae poses a major global challenge due to its virulence, multidrug resistance, and nosocomial nature. Thus, bacteriophage-derived proteins are extensively being investigated as a means to combat this bacterium. In this study, we explored the enzymatic specificity of depolymerase gp531, encoded by the jumbo bacteriophage vB_KleM_RaK2 (RaK2). We used two different methods to modify the reducing end of the oligosaccharides released during capsule hydrolysis with gp531. Subsequent acidic cleavage with TFA, followed by TLC and HPLC-MS analyses, revealed that RaK2 gp531 is a β-(1→4)-endoglucosidase. The enzyme specifically recognizes and cleaves the capsular polysaccharide (CPS) of the Klebsiella pneumoniae K54 serotype, releasing K-unit monomers (the main product), dimers, and trimers. Depolymerase gp531 remains active from 10 to 50 °C and in the pH 3-8 range, indicating its stability and versatility. Additionally, we demonstrated that gp531's activity is not affected by CPS acetylation, which is influenced by the growth conditions of the bacterial culture. Overall, our findings provide valuable insights into the enzymatic activity of the first characterized depolymerase targeting the capsule of the clinically relevant K54 serotype of K. pneumoniae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Algirdas Noreika
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Institute of Biochemistry, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius, Lithuania.
| | - Jonita Stankevičiūtė
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Institute of Biochemistry, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Rasa Rutkienė
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Institute of Biochemistry, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Rolandas Meškys
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Institute of Biochemistry, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Laura Kalinienė
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Institute of Biochemistry, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius, Lithuania.
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Tsai YC, Lee YP, Lin NT, Yang HH, Teh SH, Lin LC. Therapeutic effect and anti-biofilm ability assessment of a novel phage, phiPA1-3, against carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Virus Res 2023; 335:199178. [PMID: 37490958 PMCID: PMC10430585 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2023.199178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023]
Abstract
Multiple drug-resistant (MDR) Pseudomonas aeruginosa commonly causes severe hospital-acquired infections. The gradual emergence of carbapenem-resistant P. aeruginosa has recently gained attention. A wide array of P. aeruginosa-mediated pathogenic mechanisms, including its biofilm-forming ability, limits the use of effective antimicrobial treatments against it. In the present study, we isolated and characterized the phenotypic, biological, and genomic characteristics of a bacteriophage, vB_PaP_phiPA1-3 (phiPA1-3). Biofilm eradication and phage rescue from bacterial infections were assessed to demonstrate the efficacy of the application potential. Host range spectrum analysis revealed that phiPA1-3 is a moderate host range phage that infects 20% of the clinically isolated strains of P. aeruginosa tested, including carbapenem-resistant P. aeruginosa (CRPA). The phage exhibited stability at pH 7.0 and 9.0, with significantly reduced viability below pH 5.0 and beyond pH 9.0. phiPA1-3 is a lytic phage with a burst size of 619 plaque-forming units/infected cell at 37 °C and can effectively lyse bacteria in a multiplicity of infection-dependent manner. The genome size of phiPA1-3 was found to be 73,402 bp, with a G+C content of 54.7%, containing 93 open reading frames, of which 62 were annotated as hypothetical proteins and the remaining 31 had known functions. The phage possesses several proteins similar to those found in N4-like phages, including three types of RNA polymerases. This study concluded that phiPA1-3 belongs to the N4-like Schitoviridae family, can potentially eradicate P. aeruginosa biofilms, and thus, serve as a valuable tool for controlling CRPA infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Chuan Tsai
- Institute of Medical Sciences, Tzu Chi University, No. 701, Sec. 3, Zhongyang Rd., Hualien 97004, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Yi-Pang Lee
- Department of Dentistry, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, No. 707, Sec. 3, Zhongyang Rd., Hualien 97004, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Nien-Tsung Lin
- Master Program in Biomedical Science, School of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, No. 701, Sec. 3, Zhongyang Rd., Hualien 97004, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Hsueh-Hui Yang
- Department of Medical Research, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, No. 707, Sec. 3, Zhongyang Rd., Hualien 97004, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Soon-Hian Teh
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, No. 707, Sec. 3, Zhongyang Rd., Hualien 97004, Taiwan, ROC.
| | - Ling-Chun Lin
- Institute of Medical Sciences, Tzu Chi University, No. 701, Sec. 3, Zhongyang Rd., Hualien 97004, Taiwan, ROC; Master Program in Biomedical Science, School of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, No. 701, Sec. 3, Zhongyang Rd., Hualien 97004, Taiwan, ROC.
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34
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Cui X, Du B, Feng J, Feng Y, Fan Z, Chen J, Cui J, Gan L, Fu T, Tian Z, Zhang R, Yan C, Zhao H, Xu W, Xu Z, Yu Z, Ding Z, Li Z, Chen Y, Xue G, Yuan J. A novel phage carrying capsule depolymerase effectively relieves pneumonia caused by multidrug-resistant Klebsiella aerogenes. J Biomed Sci 2023; 30:75. [PMID: 37653407 PMCID: PMC10470133 DOI: 10.1186/s12929-023-00946-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Klebsiella aerogenes can cause ventilator-associated pneumonia by forming biofilms, and it is frequently associated with multidrug resistance. Phages are good antibiotic alternatives with unique advantages. There has been a lack of phage therapeutic explorations, kinetic studies, and interaction mechanism research targeting K. aerogenes. METHODS Plaque assay, transmission electron microscopy and whole-genome sequencing were used to determine the biology, morphology, and genomic characteristics of the phage. A mouse pneumonia model was constructed by intratracheal/endobronchial delivery of K. aerogenes to assess the therapeutic effect of phage in vivo. Bioinformatics analysis and a prokaryotic protein expression system were used to predict and identify a novel capsule depolymerase. Confocal laser scanning microscopy, Galleria mellonella larvae infection models and other experiments were performed to clarify the function of the capsule depolymerase. RESULTS A novel lytic phage (pK4-26) was isolated from hospital sewage. It was typical of the Podoviridae family and exhibited serotype specificity, high lytic activity, and high environmental adaptability. The whole genome is 40,234 bp in length and contains 49 coding domain sequences. Genomic data show that the phage does not carry antibiotic resistance, virulence, or lysogenic genes. The phage effectively lysed K. aerogenes in vivo, reducing mortality and alleviating pneumonia without promoting obvious side effects. A novel phage-derived depolymerase was predicted and proven to be able to digest the capsule, remove biofilms, reduce bacterial virulence, and sensitize the bacteria to serum killing. CONCLUSIONS The phage pK4-26 is a good antibiotic alternative and can effectively relieve pneumonia caused by multidrug-resistant K. aerogenes. It carries a depolymerase that removes biofilms, reduces virulence, and improves intrinsic immune sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohu Cui
- Department of Bacteriology, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing, 100020, China
| | - Bing Du
- Department of Bacteriology, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing, 100020, China
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Junxia Feng
- Department of Bacteriology, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing, 100020, China
| | - Yanling Feng
- Department of Bacteriology, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing, 100020, China
| | - Zheng Fan
- Department of Bacteriology, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing, 100020, China
| | - Jinfeng Chen
- Department of Bacteriology, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing, 100020, China
| | - Jinghua Cui
- Department of Bacteriology, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing, 100020, China
| | - Lin Gan
- Department of Bacteriology, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing, 100020, China
| | - Tongtong Fu
- Department of Bacteriology, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing, 100020, China
| | - Ziyan Tian
- Department of Bacteriology, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing, 100020, China
| | - Rui Zhang
- Department of Bacteriology, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing, 100020, China
| | - Chao Yan
- Department of Bacteriology, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing, 100020, China
| | - Hanqing Zhao
- Department of Bacteriology, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing, 100020, China
| | - Wenjian Xu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing, China
| | - Ziying Xu
- Department of Bacteriology, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing, 100020, China
| | - Zihui Yu
- Department of Bacteriology, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing, 100020, China
| | - Zanbo Ding
- Department of Bacteriology, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing, 100020, China
| | - Zhoufei Li
- Department of Bacteriology, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing, 100020, China
| | - Yujie Chen
- Department of Bacteriology, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing, 100020, China
| | - Guanhua Xue
- Department of Bacteriology, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing, 100020, China.
| | - Jing Yuan
- Department of Bacteriology, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing, 100020, China.
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35
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Son B, Kim Y, Yu B, Kong M. Isolation and Characterization of a Weizmannia coagulans Bacteriophage Youna2 and Its Endolysin PlyYouna2. J Microbiol Biotechnol 2023; 33:1050-1056. [PMID: 37218442 PMCID: PMC10468668 DOI: 10.4014/jmb.2303.03021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Revised: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Weizmannia coagulans (formerly Bacillus coagulans) is Gram-positive, and spore-forming bacteria causing food spoilage, especially in acidic canned food products. To control W. coagulans, we isolated a bacteriophage Youna2 from a sewage sludge sample. Morphological analysis revealed that phage Youna2 belongs to the Siphoviridae family with a non-contractile and flexible tail. Youna2 has 52,903 bp double-stranded DNA containing 61 open reading frames. There are no lysogeny-related genes, suggesting that Youna2 is a virulent phage. plyYouna2, a putative endolysin gene was identified in the genome of Youna2 and predicted to be composed of a N-acetylmuramoyl-L-alanine amidase domain (PF01520) at the N-terminus and unknown function DUF5776 domain (PF19087) at the C-terminus. While phage Youna2 has a narrow host range, infecting only certain strains of W. coagulans, PlyYouna2 exhibited a broad antimicrobial spectrum beyond the Bacillus genus. Interestingly, PlyYouna2 can lyse Gram-negative bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Yersinia enterocolitica, Pseudomonas putida and Cronobacter sakazakii without other additives to destabilize bacterial outer membrane. To the best of our knowledge, Youna2 is the first W. coagulans-infecting phage and we speculate its endolysin PlyYouna2 can provide the basis for the development of a novel biocontrol agent against various foodborne pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bokyung Son
- Department of Food Biotechnology, Dong-A University, Busan 49315, Republic of Korea
| | - Youna Kim
- Department of Food Science and Technology, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, Seoul 01811, Republic of Korea
| | - Booyoung Yu
- Department of Food Science and Technology, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, Seoul 01811, Republic of Korea
| | - Minsuk Kong
- Department of Food Science and Technology, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, Seoul 01811, Republic of Korea
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36
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Umansky AA, Fortier LC. The long and sinuous road to phage-based therapy of Clostridioides difficile infections. Front Med (Lausanne) 2023; 10:1259427. [PMID: 37680620 PMCID: PMC10481535 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2023.1259427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
With the antibiotic crisis and the rise in antimicrobial resistance worldwide, new therapeutic alternatives are urgently needed. Phage therapy represents one of the most promising alternatives but for some pathogens, such as Clostridioides difficile, important challenges are being faced. The perspective of phage therapy to treat C. difficile infections is complicated by the fact that no strictly lytic phages have been identified so far, and current temperate phages generally have a narrow host range. C. difficile also harbors multiple antiphage mechanisms, and the bacterial genome is often a host of one or multiple prophages that can interfere with lytic phage infection. Nevertheless, due to recent advances in phage host receptor recognition and improvements in genetic tools to manipulate phage genomes, it is now conceivable to genetically engineer C. difficile phages to make them suitable for phage therapy. Other phage-based alternatives such as phage endolysins and phage tail-like bacteriocins (avidocins) are also being investigated but these approaches also have their own limitations and challenges. Last but not least, C. difficile produces spores that are resistant to phage attacks and all current antibiotics, and this complicates therapeutic interventions. This mini-review gives a brief historical overview of phage work that has been carried out in C. difficile, presents recent advances in the field, and addresses the most important challenges that are being faced, with potential solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Louis Charles Fortier
- Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
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37
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da Silva JD, Bens L, Santos AJDC, Lavigne R, Soares J, Melo LDR, Vallino M, Dias RS, Drulis-Kawa Z, de Paula SO, Wagemans J. Isolation and Characterization of the Acadevirus Members BigMira and MidiMira Infecting a Highly Pathogenic Proteus mirabilis Strain. Microorganisms 2023; 11:2141. [PMID: 37763984 PMCID: PMC10537623 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11092141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Proteus mirabilis is an opportunistic pathogen and is responsible for more than 40% of all cases of catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs). Healthcare-associated infections have been aggravated by the constant emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains. Because of this, the use of phages to combat bacterial infections gained renewed interest. In this study, we describe the biological and genomic features of two P. mirabilis phages, named BigMira and MidiMira. These phages belong to the Acadevirus genus (family Autographiviridae). BigMira and MidiMira are highly similar, differing only in four missense mutations in their phage tail fiber. These mutations are sufficient to impact the phages' depolymerase activity. Subsequently, the comparative genomic analysis of ten clinical P. mirabilis strains revealed differences in their antibiotic resistance profiles and lipopolysaccharide locus, with the latter potentially explaining the host range data of the phages. The massive presence of antimicrobial resistance genes, especially in the phages' isolation strain P. mirabilis MCS, highlights the challenges in treating infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria. The findings reinforce BigMira and MidiMira phages as candidates for phage therapy purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jéssica Duarte da Silva
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunovirology, Department of Microbiology, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa 36570-900, MG, Brazil; (J.D.d.S.); (A.J.d.C.S.); (J.S.); (S.O.d.P.)
| | - Lene Bens
- Laboratory of Gene Technology, Department of Biosystems, Division of Animal and Human Health Engineering, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; (L.B.); (R.L.)
| | - Adriele J. do Carmo Santos
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunovirology, Department of Microbiology, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa 36570-900, MG, Brazil; (J.D.d.S.); (A.J.d.C.S.); (J.S.); (S.O.d.P.)
| | - Rob Lavigne
- Laboratory of Gene Technology, Department of Biosystems, Division of Animal and Human Health Engineering, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; (L.B.); (R.L.)
| | - José Soares
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunovirology, Department of Microbiology, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa 36570-900, MG, Brazil; (J.D.d.S.); (A.J.d.C.S.); (J.S.); (S.O.d.P.)
| | - Luís D. R. Melo
- Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal;
- LABBELS—Associate Laboratory, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
| | - Marta Vallino
- Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection, National Research Council of Italy, 10135 Torino, Italy;
| | - Roberto Sousa Dias
- Department of General Biology, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa 36570-900, MG, Brazil;
| | - Zuzanna Drulis-Kawa
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, University of Wroclaw, 50-335 Wroclaw, Poland;
| | - Sérgio Oliveira de Paula
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunovirology, Department of Microbiology, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa 36570-900, MG, Brazil; (J.D.d.S.); (A.J.d.C.S.); (J.S.); (S.O.d.P.)
- Department of General Biology, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa 36570-900, MG, Brazil;
| | - Jeroen Wagemans
- Laboratory of Gene Technology, Department of Biosystems, Division of Animal and Human Health Engineering, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; (L.B.); (R.L.)
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38
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Nicholls P, Clark JR, Gu Liu C, Terwilliger A, Maresso AW. Class-Driven Synergy and Antagonism between a Pseudomonas Phage and Antibiotics. Infect Immun 2023; 91:e0006523. [PMID: 37404162 PMCID: PMC10429645 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00065-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The ubiquitous bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa is responsible for severe infections in patients with burns, cystic fibrosis, and neutropenia. Biofilm formation gives physical refuge and a protected microenvironment for sessile cells, rendering cure by antibiotics a challenge. Bacteriophages have evolved to prey on these biofilms over millions of years, using hydrolases and depolymerases to penetrate biofilms and reach cellular targets. Here, we assessed how a newly discovered KMV-like phage (ΦJB10) interacts with antibiotics to treat P. aeruginosa more effectively in both planktonic and biofilm forms. By testing representatives of four classes of antibiotics (cephalosporins, aminoglycosides, fluoroquinolones, and carbapenems), we demonstrated class-dependent interactions between ΦJB10 and antibiotics in both biofilm clearance and P. aeruginosa killing. Despite identifying antagonism between some antibiotic classes and ΦJB10 at early time points, all classes showed neutral to favorable interactions with the phage at later time points. In one notable example where the antibiotic alone had poor activity against both biofilm and high-density planktonic cells, we found that addition of ΦJB10 demonstrated synergy and resulted in effective treatment of both. Further, ΦJB10 seemed to act as an adjuvant to several antibiotics, reducing the concentration of antibiotics required to ablate the biofilm. This report shows that phages such as ΦJB10 may be valuable additions to the armamentarium against difficult-to-treat biofilm-based infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Nicholls
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Justin R. Clark
- TAILΦR LABS, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Carmen Gu Liu
- TAILΦR LABS, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Austen Terwilliger
- TAILΦR LABS, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Anthony W. Maresso
- TAILΦR LABS, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
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39
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Šimoliūnas E, Šimoliūnienė M, Laskevičiūtė G, Kvederavičiūtė K, Skapas M, Kaupinis A, Valius M, Meškys R, Kuisienė N. Geobacillus Bacteriophages from Compost Heaps: Representatives of Three New Genera within Thermophilic Siphoviruses. Viruses 2023; 15:1691. [PMID: 37632033 PMCID: PMC10459684 DOI: 10.3390/v15081691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
We report a detailed characterization of five thermophilic bacteriophages (phages) that were isolated from compost heaps in Vilnius, Lithuania using Geobacillus thermodenitrificans strains as the hosts for phage propagation. The efficiency of plating experiments revealed that phages formed plaques from 45 to 80 °C. Furthermore, most of the phages formed plaques surrounded by halo zones, indicating the presence of phage-encoded bacterial exopolysaccharide (EPS)-degrading depolymerases. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) analysis revealed that all phages were siphoviruses characterized by an isometric head (from ~63 nm to ~67 nm in diameter) and a non-contractile flexible tail (from ~137 nm to ~150 nm in length). The genome sequencing resulted in genomes ranging from 38,161 to 39,016 bp. Comparative genomic and phylogenetic analysis revealed that all the isolated phages had no close relatives to date, and potentially represent three new genera within siphoviruses. The results of this study not only improve our knowledge about poorly explored thermophilic bacteriophages but also give new insights for further investigation of thermophilic and/or thermostable enzymes of bacterial viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugenijus Šimoliūnas
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Institute of Biochemistry, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Saulėtekio Av. 7, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania; (M.Š.); (G.L.); (R.M.)
- Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Institute of Bioscience, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Saulėtekio Av. 7, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania;
| | - Monika Šimoliūnienė
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Institute of Biochemistry, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Saulėtekio Av. 7, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania; (M.Š.); (G.L.); (R.M.)
| | - Gintarė Laskevičiūtė
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Institute of Biochemistry, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Saulėtekio Av. 7, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania; (M.Š.); (G.L.); (R.M.)
| | - Kotryna Kvederavičiūtė
- Department of Biological DNA Modification, Institute of Biotechnology, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Saulėtekio Av. 7, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania;
| | - Martynas Skapas
- Department of Characterisation of Materials Structure, Center for Physical Sciences and Technology, Sauletekio Av. 3, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania;
| | - Algirdas Kaupinis
- Proteomics Centre, Institute of Biochemistry, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Saulėtekio Av. 7, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania; (A.K.); (M.V.)
| | - Mindaugas Valius
- Proteomics Centre, Institute of Biochemistry, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Saulėtekio Av. 7, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania; (A.K.); (M.V.)
| | - Rolandas Meškys
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Institute of Biochemistry, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Saulėtekio Av. 7, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania; (M.Š.); (G.L.); (R.M.)
| | - Nomeda Kuisienė
- Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Institute of Bioscience, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Saulėtekio Av. 7, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania;
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40
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Wang Z, Fokine A, Guo X, Jiang W, Rossmann MG, Kuhn RJ, Luo ZH, Klose T. Structure of Vibrio Phage XM1, a Simple Contractile DNA Injection Machine. Viruses 2023; 15:1673. [PMID: 37632015 PMCID: PMC10457771 DOI: 10.3390/v15081673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance poses a growing risk to public health, requiring new tools to combat pathogenic bacteria. Contractile injection systems, including bacteriophage tails, pyocins, and bacterial type VI secretion systems, can efficiently penetrate cell envelopes and become potential antibacterial agents. Bacteriophage XM1 is a dsDNA virus belonging to the Myoviridae family and infecting Vibrio bacteria. The XM1 virion, made of 18 different proteins, consists of an icosahedral head and a contractile tail, terminated with a baseplate. Here, we report cryo-EM reconstructions of all components of the XM1 virion and describe the atomic structures of 14 XM1 proteins. The XM1 baseplate is composed of a central hub surrounded by six wedge modules to which twelve spikes are attached. The XM1 tail contains a fewer number of smaller proteins compared to other reported phage baseplates, depicting the minimum requirements for building an effective cell-envelope-penetrating machine. We describe the tail sheath structure in the pre-infection and post-infection states and its conformational changes during infection. In addition, we report, for the first time, the in situ structure of the phage neck region to near-atomic resolution. Based on these structures, we propose mechanisms of virus assembly and infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiqing Wang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
- National Cryo-EM Facility, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Leidos Biomedical Research Inc., Frederick, MD 21701, USA
| | - Andrei Fokine
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Xinwu Guo
- Sansure Biotech Inc., Changsha 410205, China
| | - Wen Jiang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Michael G. Rossmann
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Richard J. Kuhn
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Zhu-Hua Luo
- Key Laboratory of Marine Biogenetic Resources, Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen 361005, China
- School of Marine Sciences, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing 210044, China
| | - Thomas Klose
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
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Yang Y, Dufault-Thompson K, Yan W, Cai T, Xie L, Jiang X. Deciphering Phage-Host Specificity Based on the Association of Phage Depolymerases and Bacterial Surface Glycan with Deep Learning. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.16.545366. [PMID: 37503040 PMCID: PMC10370184 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.16.545366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Phage tailspike proteins are depolymerases that target diverse bacterial surface glycans with high specificity, determining the host-specificity of numerous phages. To address the challenge of identifying tailspike proteins due to their sequence diversity, we developed SpikeHunter, an approach based on the ESM-2 protein language model. Using SpikeHunter, we successfully identified 231,965 tailspike proteins from a dataset comprising 8,434,494 prophages found within 165,365 genomes of five common pathogens. Among these proteins, 143,035 tailspike proteins displayed strong associations with serotypes. Moreover, we observed highly similar tailspike proteins in species that share closely related serotypes. We found extensive domain swapping in all five species, with the C-terminal domain being significantly associated with host serotype highlighting its role in host range determination. Our study presents a comprehensive cross-species analysis of tailspike protein to serotype associations, providing insights applicable to phage therapy and biotechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiyan Yang
- National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | | | - Wei Yan
- National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Tian Cai
- Ph.D. Program in Computer Science, The Graduate Center, The City University of New York, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Lei Xie
- Ph.D. Program in Computer Science, The Graduate Center, The City University of New York, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Department of Computer Science, Hunter College, The City University of New York, New York, NY 10065, USA *
| | - Xiaofang Jiang
- National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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42
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Wakinaka T, Matsutani M, Watanabe J, Mogi Y, Tokuoka M, Ohnishi A. Identification of Capsular Polysaccharide Synthesis Loci Determining Bacteriophage Susceptibility in Tetragenococcus halophilus. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0038523. [PMID: 37154759 PMCID: PMC10269466 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00385-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophages infecting Tetragenococcus halophilus, a halophilic lactic acid bacterium, have been a major industrial concern due to their detrimental effects on the quality of food products. Previously characterized tetragenococcal phages displayed narrow host ranges, but there is little information on these mechanisms. Here, we revealed the host's determinant factors for phage susceptibility using two virulent phages, phiYA5_2 and phiYG2_4, that infect T. halophilus YA5 and YG2, respectively. Phage-resistant derivatives were obtained from these host strains, and mutations were found at the capsular polysaccharide (CPS) synthesis (cps) loci. Quantification analysis verified that capsular polysaccharide production by the cps derivatives from YG2 was impaired. Transmission electron microscopy observation confirmed the presence of filamentous structures outside the cell walls of YG2 and their absence in the cps derivatives of YG2. Phage adsorption assays revealed that phiYG2_4 adsorbed to YG2 but not its cps derivatives, which suggests that the capsular polysaccharide of YG2 is the specific receptor for phiYG2_4. Interestingly, phiYA5_2 adsorbed and infected cps derivatives of YG2, although neither adsorption to nor infection of the parental strain YG2 by phiYA5_2 was observed. The plaque-surrounding halos formed by phiYA5_2 implied the presence of the virion-associated depolymerase that degrades the capsular polysaccharide of YA5. These results indicated that the capsular polysaccharide is a physical barrier rather than a binding receptor for phiYA5_2 and that phiYA5_2 specifically overcomes the capsular polysaccharide of YA5. Thus, it is suggested that tetragenococcal phages utilize CPSs as binding receptors and/or degrade CPSs to approach host cells. IMPORTANCE T. halophilus is a halophilic lactic acid bacterium that contributes to the fermentation processes for various salted foods. Bacteriophage infections of T. halophilus have been a major industrial problem causing fermentation failures. Here, we identified the cps loci in T. halophilus as genetic determinants of phage susceptibility. The structural diversity of the capsular polysaccharide is responsible for the narrow host ranges of tetragenococcal phages. The information provided here could facilitate future studies on tetragenococcal phages and the development of efficient methods to prevent bacteriophage infections.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jun Watanabe
- Manufacturing Division, Yamasa Corporation, Choshi, Japan
- Faculty of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Fukushima University, Fukushima, Japan
- Institute of Fermentation Sciences, Fukushima University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Yoshinobu Mogi
- Manufacturing Division, Yamasa Corporation, Choshi, Japan
| | - Masafumi Tokuoka
- Department of Fermentation Science, Faculty of Applied Biosciences, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Akihiro Ohnishi
- Department of Fermentation Science, Faculty of Applied Biosciences, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Tokyo, Japan
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Stojowska-Swędrzyńska K, Kuczyńska-Wiśnik D, Laskowska E. New Strategies to Kill Metabolically-Dormant Cells Directly Bypassing the Need for Active Cellular Processes. Antibiotics (Basel) 2023; 12:1044. [PMID: 37370363 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics12061044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2023] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Antibiotic therapy failure is often caused by the presence of persister cells, which are metabolically-dormant bacteria capable of surviving exposure to antimicrobials. Under favorable conditions, persisters can resume growth leading to recurrent infections. Moreover, several studies have indicated that persisters may promote the evolution of antimicrobial resistance and facilitate the selection of specific resistant mutants; therefore, in light of the increasing numbers of multidrug-resistant infections worldwide, developing efficient strategies against dormant cells is of paramount importance. In this review, we present and discuss the efficacy of various agents whose antimicrobial activity is independent of the metabolic status of the bacteria as they target cell envelope structures. Since the biofilm-environment is favorable for the formation of dormant subpopulations, anti-persister strategies should also include agents that destroy the biofilm matrix or inhibit biofilm development. This article reviews examples of selected cell wall hydrolases, polysaccharide depolymerases and antimicrobial peptides. Their combination with standard antibiotics seems to be the most promising approach in combating persistent infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karolina Stojowska-Swędrzyńska
- Department of General and Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Dorota Kuczyńska-Wiśnik
- Department of General and Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Ewa Laskowska
- Department of General and Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland
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44
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Park SY, Kwon H, Kim SG, Park SC, Kim JH, Seo S. Characterization of two lytic bacteriophages, infecting Streptococcus bovis/equinus complex (SBSEC) from Korean ruminant. Sci Rep 2023; 13:9110. [PMID: 37277552 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-36306-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus bovis/equinus complex (SBSEC) is one of the most important lactic acid-producing rumen bacteria causing subacute ruminal acidosis. Despite the significance of the ruminal bacteria, lytic bacteriophages (phages) capable of infecting SBSEC in the rumen have been rarely characterized. Hence, we describe the biological and genomic characteristics of two lytic phages (designated as vB_SbRt-pBovineB21 and vB_SbRt-pBovineS21) infecting various SBSEC species, including the newly reported S. ruminicola. The isolated SBSEC phages were morphologically similar to Podoviridae and could infect other genera of lactic acid-producing bacteria, including Lactococcus and Lactobacillus. Additionally, they showed high thermal- and pH-stability, and those characteristics induce strong adaptation to the ruminal environment, such as the low pH found in subacute ruminal acidosis. Genome-based phylogeny revealed that both phages were related to Streptococcus phage C1 in the Fischettivirus. However, they had a lower nucleotide similarity and distinct genomic arrangements than phage C1. The phage bacteriolytic activity was evaluated using S. ruminicola, and the phages efficiently inhibited planktonic bacterial growth. Moreover, both phages could prevent bacterial biofilms of various SBSEC strains and other lactic acid-producing bacteria in vitro. Thus, the newly isolated two SBSEC phages were classified as new Fischettivirus members and could be considered as potential biocontrol agents against ruminal SBSEC bacteria and their biofilms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seon Young Park
- Division of Animal and Dairy Sciences, College of Agriculture and Life Science, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, 34134, South Korea
| | - Hyemin Kwon
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, 34134, South Korea
| | - Sang Guen Kim
- Laboratory of Aquatic Biomedicine, College of Veterinary Medicine and Research Institute for Veterinary Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, South Korea
| | - Se Chang Park
- Laboratory of Aquatic Biomedicine, College of Veterinary Medicine and Research Institute for Veterinary Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, South Korea
| | - Ji Hyung Kim
- Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, College of Bionano Technology, Gachon University, Seongnam, 13120, South Korea.
| | - Seongwon Seo
- Division of Animal and Dairy Sciences, College of Agriculture and Life Science, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, 34134, South Korea.
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45
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Noreika A, Rutkiene R, Dumalakienė I, Vilienė R, Laurynėnas A, Povilonienė S, Skapas M, Meškys R, Kaliniene L. Insights into the Alcyoneusvirus Adsorption Complex. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24119320. [PMID: 37298271 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24119320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The structures of the Caudovirales phage tails are key factors in determining the host specificity of these viruses. However, because of the enormous structural diversity, the molecular anatomy of the host recognition apparatus has been elucidated in only a number of phages. Klebsiella viruses vB_KleM_RaK2 (RaK2) and phiK64-1, which form a new genus Alcyoneusvirus according to the ICTV, have perhaps one of the most structurally sophisticated adsorption complexes of all tailed viruses described to date. Here, to gain insight into the early steps of the alcyoneusvirus infection process, the adsorption apparatus of bacteriophage RaK2 is studied in silico and in vitro. We experimentally demonstrate that ten proteins, gp098 and gp526-gp534, previously designated as putative structural/tail fiber proteins (TFPs), are present in the adsorption complex of RaK2. We show that two of these proteins, gp098 and gp531, are essential for attaching to Klebsiella pneumoniae KV-3 cells: gp531 is an active depolymerase that recognizes and degrades the capsule of this particular host, while gp098 is a secondary receptor-binding protein that requires the coordinated action of gp531. Finally, we demonstrate that RaK2 long tail fibers consist of nine TFPs, seven of which are depolymerases, and propose a model for their assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Algirdas Noreika
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Institute of Biochemistry, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Saulėtekio Av. 7, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Rasa Rutkiene
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Institute of Biochemistry, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Saulėtekio Av. 7, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Irena Dumalakienė
- Department of Immunology, State Research Institute Center for Innovative Medicine, Santariškių St. 5, LT-08410 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Rita Vilienė
- Department of Immunology, State Research Institute Center for Innovative Medicine, Santariškių St. 5, LT-08410 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Audrius Laurynėnas
- Department of Bioanalysis, Institute of Biochemistry, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Saulėtekio Av. 7, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Simona Povilonienė
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Institute of Biochemistry, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Saulėtekio Av. 7, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Martynas Skapas
- Department of Characterisation of Materials Structure, Center for Physical Sciences and Technology, Saulėtekio Av. 3, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Rolandas Meškys
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Institute of Biochemistry, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Saulėtekio Av. 7, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Laura Kaliniene
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Institute of Biochemistry, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Saulėtekio Av. 7, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania
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46
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Lazar V, Oprea E, Ditu LM. Resistance, Tolerance, Virulence and Bacterial Pathogen Fitness-Current State and Envisioned Solutions for the Near Future. Pathogens 2023; 12:pathogens12050746. [PMID: 37242416 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12050746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Revised: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The current antibiotic crisis and the global phenomena of bacterial resistance, inherited and non-inherited, and tolerance-associated with biofilm formation-are prompting dire predictions of a post-antibiotic era in the near future. These predictions refer to increases in morbidity and mortality rates as a consequence of infections with multidrug-resistant or pandrug-resistant microbial strains. In this context, we aimed to highlight the current status of the antibiotic resistance phenomenon and the significance of bacterial virulence properties/fitness for human health and to review the main strategies alternative or complementary to antibiotic therapy, some of them being already clinically applied or in clinical trials, others only foreseen and in the research phase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica Lazar
- Department of Botany and Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, 1-3 Portocalelor Street, 060101 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Eliza Oprea
- Department of Botany and Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, 1-3 Portocalelor Street, 060101 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Lia-Mara Ditu
- Department of Botany and Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, 1-3 Portocalelor Street, 060101 Bucharest, Romania
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47
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Magill DJ, Skvortsov TA. DePolymerase Predictor (DePP): a machine learning tool for the targeted identification of phage depolymerases. BMC Bioinformatics 2023; 24:208. [PMID: 37208612 DOI: 10.1186/s12859-023-05341-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Biofilm production plays a clinically significant role in the pathogenicity of many bacteria, limiting our ability to apply antimicrobial agents and contributing in particular to the pathogenesis of chronic infections. Bacteriophage depolymerases, leveraged by these viruses to circumvent biofilm mediated resistance, represent a potentially powerful weapon in the fight against antibiotic resistant bacteria. Such enzymes are able to degrade the extracellular matrix that is integral to the formation of all biofilms and as such would allow complementary therapies or disinfection procedures to be successfully applied. In this manuscript, we describe the development and application of a machine learning based approach towards the identification of phage depolymerases. We demonstrate that on the basis of a relatively limited number of experimentally proven enzymes and using an amino acid derived feature vector that the development of a powerful model with an accuracy on the order of 90% is possible, showing the value of such approaches in protein functional annotation and the discovery of novel therapeutic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Timofey A Skvortsov
- School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, UK.
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48
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Gorzynski M, De Ville K, Week T, Jaramillo T, Danelishvili L. Understanding the Phage-Host Interaction Mechanism toward Improving the Efficacy of Current Antibiotics in Mycobacterium abscessus. Biomedicines 2023; 11:biomedicines11051379. [PMID: 37239050 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11051379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Revised: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Pulmonary infections caused by Mycobacterium abscessus (MAB) have been increasing in incidence in recent years, leading to chronic and many times fatal infections due to MAB's natural resistance to most available antimicrobials. The use of bacteriophages (phages) in clinics is emerging as a novel treatment strategy to save the lives of patients suffering from drug-resistant, chronic, and disseminated infections. The substantial research indicates that phage-antibiotic combination therapy can display synergy and be clinically more effective than phage therapy alone. However, there is limited knowledge in the understanding of the molecular mechanisms in phage-mycobacteria interaction and the synergism of phage-antibiotic combinations. We generated the lytic mycobacteriophage library and studied phage specificity and the host range in MAB clinical isolates and characterized the phage's ability to lyse the pathogen under various environmental and mammalian host stress conditions. Our results indicate that phage lytic efficiency is altered by environmental conditions, especially in conditions of biofilm and intracellular states of MAB. By utilizing the MAB gene knockout mutants of the MAB_0937c/MmpL10 drug efflux pump and MAB_0939/pks polyketide synthase enzyme, we discovered the surface glycolipid diacyltrehalose/polyacyltrehalose (DAT/PAT) as one of the major primary phage receptors in mycobacteria. We also established a set of phages that alter the MmpL10 multidrug efflux pump function in MAB through an evolutionary trade-off mechanism. The combination of these phages with antibiotics significantly decreases the number of viable bacteria when compared to phage or antibiotic-alone treatments. This study deepens our understanding of phage-mycobacteria interaction mechanisms and identifies therapeutic phages that can lower bacterial fitness by impairing an antibiotic efflux function and attenuating the MAB intrinsic resistance mechanism via targeted therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mylene Gorzynski
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
- Department of Microbiology, College of Science, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Katalla De Ville
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, College of Science, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Tiana Week
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, College of Engineering, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Tiana Jaramillo
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
- Department of Animal Sciences, College of Agricultural Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Lia Danelishvili
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
- Department of Microbiology, College of Science, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
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49
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Besarab NV, Letarova MA, Babenko VV, Belalov IS, Golomidova AK, Kulikov EE, Lagonenko AL, Evtushenkov AN, Letarov AV. The metastable associations of bacteriophages and Erwinia amylovora. Arch Microbiol 2023; 205:214. [PMID: 37129715 DOI: 10.1007/s00203-023-03550-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2023] [Revised: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Bacteriophages are often considered as possible agents of biological control of unwanted bacterial populations in medicine, agriculture and food industry. Although the virulent phages can efficiently kill the infected host cells but at the population level phage attack not always leads to the host population collapse but may result in establishment of a more or less stable co-existence. The mechanism of the long-term stabilization of the mixed phage-host cultures is poorly understood. Here we describe bacteriophages VyarbaL and Hena2, the members of the Molineuxvirinae and the Ounavirinae subfamilies, respectively, that are able to form the pseudolysogenic associations (PA) with their host Erwinia amylovora 1/79Sm on solid media. These PAs were stable through multiple passages. The phenomenon of the PA formation between a bacterial culture and bacteriophages decreases the effectiveness of bacteriophage-mediated biological control agents based on lytic bacteriophages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalya V Besarab
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, Belarusian State University, Nezavisimisty Ave., 4, 220030, Minsk, Belarus.
| | - Maria A Letarova
- Research Center of Biotechnology of Russian Academy of Sciences, Winogradsky Institute of Microbiology, Pr. 60-Letiya Oktyabrya 7 Bld. 2, 117312, Moscow, Russia
| | - Vladislav V Babenko
- Lopukhin Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow, Russia
| | - Ilya S Belalov
- Research Center of Biotechnology of Russian Academy of Sciences, Winogradsky Institute of Microbiology, Pr. 60-Letiya Oktyabrya 7 Bld. 2, 117312, Moscow, Russia
| | - Alla K Golomidova
- Research Center of Biotechnology of Russian Academy of Sciences, Winogradsky Institute of Microbiology, Pr. 60-Letiya Oktyabrya 7 Bld. 2, 117312, Moscow, Russia
| | - Eugene E Kulikov
- Research Center of Biotechnology of Russian Academy of Sciences, Winogradsky Institute of Microbiology, Pr. 60-Letiya Oktyabrya 7 Bld. 2, 117312, Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexander L Lagonenko
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, Belarusian State University, Nezavisimisty Ave., 4, 220030, Minsk, Belarus
| | - Anatoly N Evtushenkov
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, Belarusian State University, Nezavisimisty Ave., 4, 220030, Minsk, Belarus
| | - Andrey V Letarov
- Research Center of Biotechnology of Russian Academy of Sciences, Winogradsky Institute of Microbiology, Pr. 60-Letiya Oktyabrya 7 Bld. 2, 117312, Moscow, Russia
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50
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Chen Y, Li W, Shi K, Fang Z, Yang Y, Zhang R. Isolation and characterization of a novel phage belonging to a new genus against Vibrio parahaemolyticus. Virol J 2023; 20:81. [PMID: 37127579 PMCID: PMC10152775 DOI: 10.1186/s12985-023-02036-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a major foodborne pathogen that contaminates aquatic products and causes great economic losses to aquaculture. Because of the emergence of multidrug-resistant V. parahaemolyticus strains, bacteriophages are considered promising agents for their biocontrol as an alternative or supplement to antibiotics. In this study, a lytic vibriophage, vB_VpaM_R16F (R16F), infecting V. parahaemolyticus 1.1997T was isolated, characterized and evaluated for its biocontrol potential. METHODS A vibriophage R16F was isolated from sewage from a seafood market with the double-layer agar method. R16F was studied by transmission electron microscopy, host range, sensitivity of phage particles to chloroform, one-step growth curve and lytic activity. The phage genome was sequenced and in-depth characterized, including phylogenetic and taxonomic analysis. RESULTS R16F belongs to the myovirus morphotype and infects V. parahaemolyticus, but not nine other Vibrio spp. As characterized by determining its host range, one-step growth curve, and lytic activity, phage R16F was found to highly effective in lysing host cells with a short latent period (< 10 min) and a small burst size (13 plaque-forming units). R16F has a linear double-stranded DNA with genome size 139,011 bp and a G + C content of 35.21%. Phylogenetic and intergenomic nucleotide sequence similarity analysis revealed that R16F is distinct from currently known vibriophages and belongs to a novel genus. Several genes (e.g., encoding ultraviolet damage endonuclease and endolysin) that may enhance environmental competitiveness were found in the genome of R16F, while no antibiotic resistance- or virulence factor-related gene was detected. CONCLUSIONS In consideration of its biological and genetic properties, this newly discovered phage R16F belongs to a novel genus and may be a potential alternate biocontrol agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yubing Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, Fujian, China
- China-ASEAN College of Marine Sciences, Xiamen University Malaysia, Sepang, 43900, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Wenqing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, Fujian, China
- College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Fujian Key Laboratory of Marine Carbon Sequestration, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, Fujian, China
| | - Keming Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, Fujian, China
- College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Fujian Key Laboratory of Marine Carbon Sequestration, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, Fujian, China
| | - Zheng Fang
- China-ASEAN College of Marine Sciences, Xiamen University Malaysia, Sepang, 43900, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Yunlan Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, Fujian, China.
- College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Fujian Key Laboratory of Marine Carbon Sequestration, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, Fujian, China.
| | - Rui Zhang
- Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518061, Guangdong, China.
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