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Goehlich H, Roth O, Sieber M, Chibani CM, Poehlein A, Rajkov J, Liesegang H, Wendling CC. Suboptimal environmental conditions prolong phage epidemics in bacterial populations. Mol Ecol 2024; 33:e17050. [PMID: 37337348 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17050] [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: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023]
Abstract
Infections by filamentous phages, which are usually nonlethal to the bacterial cells, influence bacterial fitness in various ways. While phage-encoded accessory genes, for example virulence genes, can be highly beneficial, the production of viral particles is energetically costly and often reduces bacterial growth. Consequently, if costs outweigh benefits, bacteria evolve resistance, which can shorten phage epidemics. Abiotic conditions are known to influence the net-fitness effect for infected bacteria. Their impact on the dynamics and trajectories of host resistance evolution, however, remains yet unknown. To address this, we experimentally evolved the bacterium Vibrio alginolyticus in the presence of a filamentous phage at three different salinity levels, that is (1) ambient, (2) 50% reduction and (3) fluctuations between reduced and ambient. In all three salinities, bacteria rapidly acquired resistance through super infection exclusion (SIE), whereby phage-infected cells acquired immunity at the cost of reduced growth. Over time, SIE was gradually replaced by evolutionary fitter surface receptor mutants (SRM). This replacement was significantly faster at ambient and fluctuating conditions compared with the low saline environment. Our experimentally parameterized mathematical model explains that suboptimal environmental conditions, in which bacterial growth is slower, slow down phage resistance evolution ultimately prolonging phage epidemics. Our results may explain the high prevalence of filamentous phages in natural environments where bacteria are frequently exposed to suboptimal conditions and constantly shifting selections regimes. Thus, our future ocean may favour the emergence of phage-born pathogenic bacteria and impose a greater risk for disease outbreaks, impacting not only marine animals but also humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henry Goehlich
- GEOMAR, Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Marine Evolutionary Ecology, Kiel, Germany
| | - Olivia Roth
- GEOMAR, Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Marine Evolutionary Ecology, Kiel, Germany
- Marine Evolutionary Biology, Zoological Institute, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Michael Sieber
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Plön, Germany
| | - Cynthia M Chibani
- Institute for General Microbiology, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Anja Poehlein
- Department of Genomic and Applied Microbiology, Georg-August University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Jelena Rajkov
- GEOMAR, Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Marine Evolutionary Ecology, Kiel, Germany
| | - Heiko Liesegang
- Department of Genomic and Applied Microbiology, Georg-August University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Carolin C Wendling
- GEOMAR, Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Marine Evolutionary Ecology, Kiel, Germany
- ETH Zürich, Institute of Integrative Biology, Zürich, Switzerland
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Li X, Wang X, Li R, Zhang W, Wang L, Yan B, Zhu T, Xu Y, Tan D. Characterization of a Filamentous Phage, Vaf1, from Vibrio alginolyticus AP-1. Appl Environ Microbiol 2023; 89:e0052023. [PMID: 37255423 PMCID: PMC10304664 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00520-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Filamentous phages are ubiquitously distributed in the global oceans. However, little is known about their biological contribution to their host's genetic and phenotypic diversity. In this study, a filamentous phage, Vaf1, was isolated and characterized from the emerging marine pathogen strain Vibrio alginolyticus AP-1. We explored the effects of the resident phage Vaf1 on the host physiology under diverse conditions by precisely deleting the entire phage Vaf1. Our results demonstrate that the presence of phage Vaf1 significantly increased biofilm formation, swarming motility, and contact-dependent competition. Furthermore, the gene expression profile suggests that several phage genes were upregulated in response to low-nutrient conditions. Unexpectedly, an in vivo study of zebrafish shows that fish infected with strain ΔVaf1 survived longer than those infected with wild-type strain AP-1, indicating that Vaf1 contributes to the virulence of V. alginolyticus. Together, our results provide direct evidence for the effect of Vaf1 phage-mediated phenotypic changes in marine bacteria V. alginolyticus. This further emphasizes the impressive complexity and diversity that filamentous phage-host interactions pose and the challenges associated with bacterial disease control in marine aquaculture. IMPORTANCE Non-lytic filamentous phages can replicate without killing their host, establishing long-term persistence within the bacterial host. In contrast to the well-studied CTXφ phage of the human-pathogenic Vibrio cholerae, little is known about the filamentous phage Vaf1 and its biological role in host fitness. In this study, we constructed a filamentous phage-deleted strain, ΔVaf1, and provided direct evidence on how an intact phage, φVaf1, belonging to the family Inoviridae, helps the bacterial host AP-1 to overcome adverse environmental conditions. Our results likely open new avenues for fundamental studies on how filamentous phage-host interactions regulate different aspects of Vibrio cell behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyu Li
- School of Bioengineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China
| | - Xiao Wang
- School of Bioengineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China
| | - Ruoyu Li
- School of Bioengineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China
| | - Wan Zhang
- School of Bioengineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China
| | - Lili Wang
- School of Bioengineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China
| | - Bo Yan
- Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Tongyu Zhu
- Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yongping Xu
- School of Bioengineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China
| | - Demeng Tan
- Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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Chibani CM, Hertel R, Neumann-Schaal M, Goehlich H, Wagner K, Bunk B, Spröer C, Overmann J, Hoppert M, Marten SM, Roth O, Liesegang H, Wendling CC. Vibrio syngnathi sp. nov., a fish pathogen, isolated from the Kiel Fjord. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2023; 73. [PMID: 37384381 DOI: 10.1099/ijsem.0.005951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/01/2023] Open
Abstract
A new Vibrio strain, K08M4T, was isolated from the broad-nosed pipefish Syngnathus typhle in the Kiel Fjord. Infection experiments revealed that K08M4T was highly virulent for juvenile pipefish. Cells of strain K08M4T were Gram-stain-negative, curved rod-shaped and motile by means of a single polar flagellum. The strain grew aerobically at 9-40° C, at pH 4-10.5 and it tolerated up to 12 % (w/v) NaCl. The most prevalent (>10 %) cellular fatty acids of K08M4T were C16 : 1 ω7c and C16 : 0. Whole-genome comparisons revealed that K08M4T represents a separate evolutionary lineage that is distinct from other Vibrio species and falls within the Splendidus clade. The genome is 4,886,292 bp in size, consists of two circular chromosomes (3,298,328 and 1, 587,964 bp) and comprises 4,178 protein-coding genes and 175 RNA genes. In this study, we describe the phenotypic features of the new isolate and present the annotation and analysis of its complete genome sequence. Based on these data, the new isolate represents a new species for which we propose the name Vibrio syngnathi sp. nov. The type strain is K08M4T (=DSM 109818T=CECT 30086T).
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia Maria Chibani
- Georg-August University Goettingen, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
- Institute for General Microbiology, University of Kiel, 24118 Kiel, Germany
| | - Robert Hertel
- Georg-August University Goettingen, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Meina Neumann-Schaal
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Inhoffenstr. 7B, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Henry Goehlich
- GEOMAR, Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Marine Evolutionary Ecology, Düsternbrooker Weg 20, 24105 Kiel, Germany
- Marine Evolutionary Biology, Zoological Institute, Kiel University, 24118 Kiel, Germany
| | - Kim Wagner
- GEOMAR, Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Marine Evolutionary Ecology, Düsternbrooker Weg 20, 24105 Kiel, Germany
- Marine Evolutionary Biology, Zoological Institute, Kiel University, 24118 Kiel, Germany
| | - Boyke Bunk
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Inhoffenstr. 7B, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Cathrin Spröer
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Inhoffenstr. 7B, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Jörg Overmann
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Inhoffenstr. 7B, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Michael Hoppert
- Georg-August University Goettingen, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Silke Mareike Marten
- GEOMAR, Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Marine Evolutionary Ecology, Düsternbrooker Weg 20, 24105 Kiel, Germany
- Marine Evolutionary Biology, Zoological Institute, Kiel University, 24118 Kiel, Germany
| | - Olivia Roth
- GEOMAR, Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Marine Evolutionary Ecology, Düsternbrooker Weg 20, 24105 Kiel, Germany
- Marine Evolutionary Biology, Zoological Institute, Kiel University, 24118 Kiel, Germany
| | - Heiko Liesegang
- Georg-August University Goettingen, Institute of Microbiology and Genetics, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Carolin C Wendling
- GEOMAR, Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Marine Evolutionary Ecology, Düsternbrooker Weg 20, 24105 Kiel, Germany
- ETH Zürich, Institute of Integrative Biology, Universitätsstraße 16, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
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Molina-Quiroz RC, Silva-Valenzuela CA. Interactions of Vibrio phages and their hosts in aquatic environments. Curr Opin Microbiol 2023; 74:102308. [PMID: 37062175 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2023.102308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/18/2023]
Abstract
Bacteriophages (phages) are viruses that specifically infect bacteria. These viruses were discovered a century ago and have been used as a model system in microbial genetics and molecular biology. In order to survive, bacteria have to quickly adapt to phage challenges in their natural settings. In turn, phages continuously develop/evolve mechanisms for battling host defenses. A deeper understanding of the arms race between bacteria and phages is essential for the rational design of phage-based prophylaxis and therapies to prevent and treat bacterial infections. Vibrio species and their phages (vibriophages) are a suitable model to study these interactions. Phages are highly ubiquitous in aquatic environments and Vibrio are waterborne bacteria that must survive the constant attack by phages for successful transmission to their hosts. Here, we review relevant literature from the past two years to delve into the molecular interactions of Vibrio species and their phages in aquatic niches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto C Molina-Quiroz
- Stuart B. Levy Center for Integrated Management of Antimicrobial Resistance (Levy CIMAR), Tufts Medical Center and Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA
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Molina-Quiroz RC, Camilli A, Silva-Valenzuela CA. Role of Bacteriophages in the Evolution of Pathogenic Vibrios and Lessons for Phage Therapy. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2023; 1404:149-173. [PMID: 36792875 PMCID: PMC10587905 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-22997-8_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
Viruses of bacteria, i.e., bacteriophages (or phages for short), were discovered over a century ago and have played a major role as a model system for the establishment of the fields of microbial genetics and molecular biology. Despite the relative simplicity of phages, microbiologists are continually discovering new aspects of their biology including mechanisms for battling host defenses. In turn, novel mechanisms of host defense against phages are being discovered at a rapid clip. A deeper understanding of the arms race between bacteria and phages will continue to reveal novel molecular mechanisms and will be important for the rational design of phage-based prophylaxis and therapies to prevent and treat bacterial infections, respectively. Here we delve into the molecular interactions of Vibrio species and phages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto C Molina-Quiroz
- Stuart B. Levy Center for Integrated Management of Antimicrobial Resistance (Levy CIMAR), Tufts Medical Center and Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Andrew Camilli
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University, School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
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Wendling CC, Lange J, Liesegang H, Sieber M, Pöhlein A, Bunk B, Rajkov J, Goehlich H, Roth O, Brockhurst MA. Higher phage virulence accelerates the evolution of host resistance. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20221070. [PMID: 36196537 PMCID: PMC9532999 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.1070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Pathogens vary strikingly in their virulence and the selection they impose on their hosts. While the evolution of different virulence levels is well studied, the evolution of host resistance in response to different virulence levels is less understood and, at present, mainly based on observations and theoretical predictions with few experimental tests. Increased virulence can increase selection for host resistance evolution if the benefits of avoiding infection outweigh resistance costs. To test this, we experimentally evolved the bacterium Vibrio alginolyticus in the presence of two variants of a filamentous phage that differ in their virulence. The bacterial host exhibited two alternative defence strategies: (1) super infection exclusion (SIE), whereby phage-infected cells were immune to subsequent infection at the cost of reduced growth, and (2) surface receptor mutations (SRM), providing resistance to infection by preventing phage attachment. While SIE emerged rapidly against both phages, SRM evolved faster against the high- than the low-virulence phage. Using a mathematical model of our system, we show that increasing virulence strengthens selection for SRM owing to the higher costs of infection suffered by SIE immune hosts. Thus, by accelerating the evolution of host resistance, more virulent phages caused shorter epidemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolin C Wendling
- GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Marine Evolutionary Ecology, Düsternbrooker Weg 20, 24105 Kiel, Germany.,ETH Zürich, Institute of Integrative Biology, Universitätstrasse 16, CHN D 33, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Janina Lange
- GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Marine Evolutionary Ecology, Düsternbrooker Weg 20, 24105 Kiel, Germany
| | - Heiko Liesegang
- Department of genomic and applied microbiology, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Grisebachstr 8, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Michael Sieber
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, August-Thienemann-Str. 2, 24306 Plön, Germany
| | - Anja Pöhlein
- Department of genomic and applied microbiology, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Grisebachstr 8, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Boyke Bunk
- Department Bioinformatics and Databases, Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Inhoffenstr. 7B, 38114 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Jelena Rajkov
- GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Marine Evolutionary Ecology, Düsternbrooker Weg 20, 24105 Kiel, Germany.,Marine Evolutionary Biology, Kiel University, Am Botanischen Garten 1-9, 24118 Kiel, Germany
| | - Henry Goehlich
- GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Marine Evolutionary Ecology, Düsternbrooker Weg 20, 24105 Kiel, Germany
| | - Olivia Roth
- GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Marine Evolutionary Ecology, Düsternbrooker Weg 20, 24105 Kiel, Germany.,Marine Evolutionary Biology, Kiel University, Am Botanischen Garten 1-9, 24118 Kiel, Germany
| | - Michael A Brockhurst
- Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, University of Manchester, Dover Street, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
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Nawel Z, Rima O, Amira B. An overview on Vibrio temperate phages: Integration mechanisms, pathogenicity, and lysogeny regulation. Microb Pathog 2022; 165:105490. [DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2022.105490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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Goehlich H, Sartoris L, Wagner KS, Wendling CC, Roth O. Pipefish Locally Adapted to Low Salinity in the Baltic Sea Retain Phenotypic Plasticity to Cope With Ancestral Salinity Levels. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.626442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic adaptation and phenotypic plasticity facilitate the migration into new habitats and enable organisms to cope with a rapidly changing environment. In contrast to genetic adaptation that spans multiple generations as an evolutionary process, phenotypic plasticity allows acclimation within the life-time of an organism. Genetic adaptation and phenotypic plasticity are usually studied in isolation, however, only by including their interactive impact, we can understand acclimation and adaptation in nature. We aimed to explore the contribution of adaptation and plasticity in coping with an abiotic (salinity) and a biotic (Vibriobacteria) stressor using six different populations of the broad-nosed pipefishSyngnathus typhlethat originated from either high [14–17 Practical Salinity Unit (PSU)] or low (7–11 PSU) saline environments along the German coastline of the Baltic Sea. We exposed wild caught animals, to either high (15 PSU) or low (7 PSU) salinity, representing native and novel salinity conditions and allowed animals to mate. After male pregnancy, offspring was split and each half was exposed to one of the two salinities and infected withVibrio alginolyticusbacteria that were evolved at either of the two salinities in a fully reciprocal design. We investigated life-history traits of fathers and expression of 47 target genes in mothers and offspring. Pregnant males originating from high salinity exposed to low salinity were highly susceptible to opportunistic fungi infections resulting in decreased offspring size and number. In contrast, no signs of fungal infection were identified in fathers originating from low saline conditions suggesting that genetic adaptation has the potential to overcome the challenges encountered at low salinity. Offspring from parents with low saline origin survived better at low salinity suggesting genetic adaptation to low salinity. In addition, gene expression analyses of juveniles indicated patterns of local adaptation,trans-generational plasticity and developmental plasticity. In conclusion, our study suggests that pipefish are locally adapted to the low salinity in their environment, however, they are retaining phenotypic plasticity, which allows them to also cope with ancestral salinity levels and prevailing pathogens.
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