1
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Almosuli M, Kirtava A, Chkhotua A, Tsveniashvili L, Chanishvili N, Irfan SS, Ng E, McIntyre H, Hockenberry AJ, Araujo RP, Zhou W, Vuong N, Birkaya B, Liotta L, Luchini A. Urinary bacteriophage cooperation with bacterial pathogens during human urinary tract infections supports lysogenic phage therapy. Commun Biol 2025; 8:175. [PMID: 39905205 PMCID: PMC11794546 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-025-07598-8] [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: 01/01/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2025] [Indexed: 02/06/2025] Open
Abstract
Despite much promise in overcoming drug-resistant infections, clinical studies of bacteriophage antibacterial therapy have failed to show durable effectiveness. Although lysogeny plays an important role in bacterial physiology, its significance in diverse microbiomes remains unclear. Here, we tested the following hypotheses: 1) urinary microbiome phage populations switch to a higher relative proportion of temperate phages, and 2) the activity of the phage recombination machinery (integration/excision/transposition) is higher during human urinary tract infections (UTIs) than in non-infected urinary tracts. Using human urine, model organisms, mass spectrometry, gene expression analysis, and the phage phenotype prediction model BACPHLIP, the results corroborated our hypotheses at the functional protein and gene levels. From a human health perspective, these data suggest that temperate phages may facilitate bacterial infections rather than function as protective agents. These findings support the use of lysogenic phages as therapeutic Trojan Horses.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anna Kirtava
- IConsilium Second Medical Opinion, New York City, New York, NY, USA
| | | | | | - Nina Chanishvili
- Eliava Institute of Bacteriophage, Microbiology & Virology, Tblisi, Georgia
| | | | - Emily Ng
- George Mason University, Manassas, VA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Ngoc Vuong
- George Mason University, Manassas, VA, USA
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2
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Yeh TY, Feehley PJ, Feehley MC, Ooi VY, Wu PC, Hsieh F, Chiu SS, Su YC, Lewis MS, Contreras GP. The packaging signal of Xanthomonas integrative filamentous phages. Virology 2024; 600:110279. [PMID: 39492088 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2024.110279] [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: 09/19/2024] [Revised: 10/20/2024] [Accepted: 10/26/2024] [Indexed: 11/05/2024]
Abstract
Unlike Ff, the packaging signal (PS) and the mechanism of integrative filamentous phage assembly remains largely unknown. Here we revived two Inoviridae prophage sequences, ϕLf2 and ϕLf-UK, as infectious virions that lysogenize black rot pathogen Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris. The genomes of ϕLf2 and ϕLf-UK consist of 6363 and 6062 nucleotides each, and share 85.8% and 98.7% identity with ϕLf, respectively. To explore integrative filamentous phage assembly, we first identified 20-26-nucleotide long PS sequences of 10 Xanthomonas phages. These PS consist of a DNA hairpin with the consensus GGX(A/-)CCG(C/T)G sequence in the stem and C/T nucleotides in the loop, both of which are conserved and essential for PS activity. In contrast to Ff, the 5' to 3' orientation of the PS sequence is not conserved or critical for viral competence. This is the first report to offer insights into the structure and function of the integrative phage PS, revealing the diversity of filamentous phage encapsidation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting-Yu Yeh
- Agricultural Biotechnology Laboratory, Auxergen Inc., Riti Rossi Colwell Center, 701 E Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 21202, USA; Auxergen S.r.l., Tecnopolis Science and Tecnopolis Park of the University of Bari, Valenzano, BA, Italy.
| | - Patrick J Feehley
- Agricultural Biotechnology Laboratory, Auxergen Inc., Riti Rossi Colwell Center, 701 E Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 21202, USA; Auxergen S.r.l., Tecnopolis Science and Tecnopolis Park of the University of Bari, Valenzano, BA, Italy
| | - Michael C Feehley
- Agricultural Biotechnology Laboratory, Auxergen Inc., Riti Rossi Colwell Center, 701 E Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 21202, USA; Auxergen S.r.l., Tecnopolis Science and Tecnopolis Park of the University of Bari, Valenzano, BA, Italy
| | - Vivian Y Ooi
- Walt Whitman High School, Bethesda, MD 20817, USA
| | - Pei-Chen Wu
- Taipei Wego Private Senior High School, Taipei City 11254, Taiwan
| | - Frederick Hsieh
- Taipei Municipal Yu Cheng Senior High School, Taipei City 11560, Taiwan
| | - Serena S Chiu
- Neuroscience Program, School of Arts and Sciences, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02453, USA
| | - Yung-Ching Su
- National Tainan Girls' Senior High School, Tainan City 700011, Taiwan
| | - Maxwell S Lewis
- Agricultural Biotechnology Laboratory, Auxergen Inc., Riti Rossi Colwell Center, 701 E Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 21202, USA; Department of Computer Science, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA 94132, USA
| | - Gregory P Contreras
- Agricultural Biotechnology Laboratory, Auxergen Inc., Riti Rossi Colwell Center, 701 E Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 21202, USA; Auxergen S.r.l., Tecnopolis Science and Tecnopolis Park of the University of Bari, Valenzano, BA, Italy
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3
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Narancic J, Gavric D, Kostanjsek R, Knezevic P. First Characterization of Acinetobacter baumannii-Specific Filamentous Phages. Viruses 2024; 16:857. [PMID: 38932150 PMCID: PMC11209303 DOI: 10.3390/v16060857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2024] [Revised: 05/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Filamentous bacteriophages belonging to the order Tubulavirales, family Inoviridae, significantly affect the properties of Gram-negative bacteria, but filamentous phages of many important pathogens have not been described so far. The aim of this study was to examine A. baumannii filamentous phages for the first time and to determine their effect on bacterial virulence. The filamentous phages were detected in 15.3% of A. baumannii strains as individual prophages in the genome or as tandem repeats, and a slightly higher percentage was detected in the culture collection (23.8%). The phylogenetic analyses revealed 12 new genera within the Inoviridae family. Bacteriophages that were selected and isolated showed structural and genomic characteristics of the family and were unable to form plaques. Upon host infection, these phages did not significantly affect bacterial twitching motility and capsule production but significantly affected growth kinetics, reduced biofilm formation, and increased antibiotic sensitivity. One of the possible mechanisms of reduced resistance to antibiotics is the observed decreased expression of efflux pumps after infection with filamentous phages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jelena Narancic
- PK Lab., Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia; (J.N.); (D.G.)
| | - Damir Gavric
- PK Lab., Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia; (J.N.); (D.G.)
| | - Rok Kostanjsek
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Jaminkarjeva 101, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia;
| | - Petar Knezevic
- PK Lab., Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia; (J.N.); (D.G.)
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4
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Steensen K, Séneca J, Bartlau N, Yu XA, Hussain FA, Polz MF. Tailless and filamentous prophages are predominant in marine Vibrio. THE ISME JOURNAL 2024; 18:wrae202. [PMID: 39423289 PMCID: PMC11630473 DOI: 10.1093/ismejo/wrae202] [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: 06/14/2024] [Revised: 09/05/2024] [Accepted: 10/17/2024] [Indexed: 10/21/2024]
Abstract
Although tailed bacteriophages (phages) of the class Caudoviricetes are thought to constitute the most abundant and ecologically relevant group of phages that can integrate their genome into the host chromosome, it is becoming increasingly clear that other prophages are widespread. Here, we show that prophages derived from filamentous and tailless phages with genome sizes below 16 kb make up the majority of prophages in marine bacteria of the genus Vibrio. To estimate prophage prevalence unaffected by database biases, we combined comparative genomics and chemical induction of 58 diverse Vibrio cyclitrophicus isolates, resulting in 107 well-curated prophages. Complemented with computationally predicted prophages, we obtained 1158 prophages from 931 naturally co-existing strains of the family Vibrionaceae. Prophages resembling tailless and filamentous phages predominated, accounting for 80% of all prophages in V. cyclitrophicus and 60% across the Vibrionaceae. In our experimental model, prophages of all three viral realms actively replicated upon induction indicating their ability to transfer to new hosts. Indeed, prophages were rapidly gained and lost, as suggested by variable prophage content between closely related V. cyclitrophicus. Prophages related to filamentous and tailless phages were integrated into only three genomic locations and restored the function of their integration site. Despite their small size, they contained highly diverse accessory genes that may contribute to host fitness, such as phage defense systems. We propose that, like their well-studied tailed equivalent, tailless and filamentous temperate phages are active and highly abundant drivers of host ecology and evolution in marine Vibrio, which have been largely overlooked.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerrin Steensen
- Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, Division of Microbial Ecology, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Doctoral School in Microbiology and Environmental Science, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Joana Séneca
- Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Joint Microbiome Facility of the Medical University of Vienna and the University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Nina Bartlau
- Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, Division of Microbial Ecology, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Xiaoqian A Yu
- Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, Division of Microbial Ecology, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Fatima A Hussain
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 15 Vassar St., Cambridge MA 02138, United States
| | - Martin F Polz
- Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, Division of Microbial Ecology, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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Bárdy P, MacDonald CI, Pantůček R, Antson AA, Fogg PC. Jorvik: A membrane-containing phage that will likely found a new family within Vinavirales. iScience 2023; 26:108104. [PMID: 37867962 PMCID: PMC10589892 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 07/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Although membrane-containing dsDNA bacterial viruses are some of the most prevalent predators in aquatic environments, we know little about how they function due to their intractability in the laboratory. Here, we have identified and thoroughly characterized a new type of membrane-containing bacteriophage, Jorvik, that infects the freshwater mixotrophic model bacterium Rhodobacter capsulatus. Jorvik is extremely virulent, can persist in the host integrated into the RuBisCo operon and encodes two experimentally verified cell wall hydrolases. Jorvik-like prophages are abundant in the genomes of Alphaproteobacteria, are distantly related to known viruses of the class Tectiliviricetes, and we propose they should be classified as a new family. Crucially, we demonstrate how widely used phage manipulation methods should be adjusted to prevent loss of virus infectivity. Our thorough characterization of environmental phage Jorvik provides important experimental insights about phage diversity and interactions in microbial communities that are often unexplored in common metagenomic analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pavol Bárdy
- York Structural Biology Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Conor I.W. MacDonald
- York Structural Biology Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Roman Pantůček
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Alfred A. Antson
- York Structural Biology Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK
- York Biomedical Research Institute, University of York, Wentworth Way, York YO10 5NG, UK
| | - Paul C.M. Fogg
- York Biomedical Research Institute, University of York, Wentworth Way, York YO10 5NG, UK
- Biology Department, University of York, Wentworth Way, York YO10 5DD, UK
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6
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Evseev P, Bocharova J, Shagin D, Chebotar I. Analysis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Isolates from Patients with Cystic Fibrosis Revealed Novel Groups of Filamentous Bacteriophages. Viruses 2023; 15:2215. [PMID: 38005892 PMCID: PMC10675462 DOI: 10.3390/v15112215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen that can cause infections in humans, especially in hospital patients with compromised host defence mechanisms, including patients with cystic fibrosis. Filamentous bacteriophages represent a group of single-stranded DNA viruses infecting different bacteria, including P. aeruginosa and other human and animal pathogens; many of them can replicate when integrated into the bacterial chromosome. Filamentous bacteriophages can contribute to the virulence of P. aeruginosa and influence the course of the disease. There are just a few isolated and officially classified filamentous bacteriophages infecting P. aeruginosa, but genomic studies indicated the frequent occurrence of integrated prophages in many P. aeruginosa genomes. An analysis of sequenced genomes of P. aeruginosa isolated from upper respiratory tract (throat and nasal swabs) and sputum specimens collected from Russian patients with cystic fibrosis indicated a higher diversity of filamentous bacteriophages than first thought. A detailed analysis of predicted bacterial proteins revealed prophage regions representing the filamentous phages known to be quite distantly related to known phages. Genomic comparisons and phylogenetic studies enabled the proposal of several new taxonomic groups of filamentous bacteriophages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Evseev
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Ostrovityanova 1, 117997 Moscow, Russia; (J.B.); (D.S.)
- Laboratory of Molecular Bioengineering, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Miklukho-Maklaya 16/10, 117997 Moscow, Russia
| | - Julia Bocharova
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Ostrovityanova 1, 117997 Moscow, Russia; (J.B.); (D.S.)
| | - Dmitriy Shagin
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Ostrovityanova 1, 117997 Moscow, Russia; (J.B.); (D.S.)
| | - Igor Chebotar
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Ostrovityanova 1, 117997 Moscow, Russia; (J.B.); (D.S.)
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7
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Longley R, Robinson A, Liber JA, Bryson AE, Morales DP, LaButti K, Riley R, Mondo SJ, Kuo A, Yoshinaga Y, Daum C, Barry K, Grigoriev IV, Desirò A, Chain PSG, Bonito G. Comparative genomics of Mollicutes-related endobacteria supports a late invasion into Mucoromycota fungi. Commun Biol 2023; 6:948. [PMID: 37723238 PMCID: PMC10507103 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05299-8] [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: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Diverse members of early-diverging Mucoromycota, including mycorrhizal taxa and soil-associated Mortierellaceae, are known to harbor Mollicutes-related endobacteria (MRE). It has been hypothesized that MRE were acquired by a common ancestor and transmitted vertically. Alternatively, MRE endosymbionts could have invaded after the divergence of Mucoromycota lineages and subsequently spread to new hosts horizontally. To better understand the evolutionary history of MRE symbionts, we generated and analyzed four complete MRE genomes from two Mortierellaceae genera: Linnemannia (MRE-L) and Benniella (MRE-B). These genomes include the smallest known of fungal endosymbionts and showed signals of a tight relationship with hosts including a reduced functional capacity and genes transferred from fungal hosts to MRE. Phylogenetic reconstruction including nine MRE from mycorrhizal fungi revealed that MRE-B genomes are more closely related to MRE from Glomeromycotina than MRE-L from the same host family. We posit that reductions in genome size, GC content, pseudogene content, and repeat content in MRE-L may reflect a longer-term relationship with their fungal hosts. These data indicate Linnemannia and Benniella MRE were likely acquired independently after their fungal hosts diverged from a common ancestor. This work expands upon foundational knowledge on minimal genomes and provides insights into the evolution of bacterial endosymbionts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reid Longley
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | | | - Julian A Liber
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27704, USA
| | - Abigail E Bryson
- Department of Plant Soil and Microbial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | | | - Kurt LaButti
- United States Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Robert Riley
- United States Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Stephen J Mondo
- United States Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Department of Agricultural Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80521, USA
| | - Alan Kuo
- United States Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Yuko Yoshinaga
- United States Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Chris Daum
- United States Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Kerrie Barry
- United States Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Igor V Grigoriev
- United States Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Alessandro Desirò
- Department of Plant Soil and Microbial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | | | - Gregory Bonito
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA.
- Department of Plant Soil and Microbial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA.
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Gaougaou G, Vincent AT, Krylova K, Habouria H, Bessaiah H, Baraketi A, Veyrier FJ, Dozois CM, Déziel E, Lacroix M. Adaptive Radioresistance of Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 Results in Genomic Loss of Shiga Toxin-Encoding Prophages. Appl Environ Microbiol 2023; 89:e0130622. [PMID: 37014232 PMCID: PMC10132102 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01306-22] [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: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157:H7 is a foodborne pathogen producing Shiga toxins (Stx1 and Stx2), which can cause hemorrhagic diarrhea and life-threatening infections. O157:H7 strain EDL933 carries prophages CP-933V and BP-933W, which encode Shiga toxin genes (stx1 and stx2, respectively). The aim of this work was to investigate the mechanisms of adaptive resistance of EHEC strain EDL933 to a typically lethal dose of gamma irradiation (1.5 kGy). Adaptive selection through six passages of exposure to 1.5 kGy resulted in the loss of CP-933V and BP-933W prophages from the genome and mutations within three genes: wrbA, rpoA, and Wt_02639 (molY). Three selected EHEC clones that became irradiation adapted to the 1.5-kGy dose (C1, C2, and C3) demonstrated increased resistance to oxidative stress, sensitivity to acid pH, and decreased cytotoxicity to Vero cells. To confirm that loss of prophages plays a role in increased radioresistance, clones C1 and C2 were exposed to bacteriophage-containing lysates. Although phage BP-933W could lysogenize C1, C2, and E. coli K-12 strain MG1655, it was not found to have integrated into the bacterial chromosome in C1-Φ and C2-Φ lysogens. Interestingly, for the E. coli K-12 lysogen (K-12-Φ), BP-933W DNA had integrated at the wrbA gene (K-12-Φ). Both C1-Φ and C2-Φ lysogens regained sensitivity to oxidative stress, were more effectively killed by a 1.5-kGy gamma irradiation dose, and had regained cytotoxicity and acid resistance phenotypes. Further, the K-12-Φ lysogen became cytotoxic, more sensitive to gamma irradiation and oxidative stress, and slightly more acid resistant. IMPORTANCE Gamma irradiation of food products can provide an effective means of eliminating bacterial pathogens such as enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157:H7, a significant foodborne pathogen that can cause severe disease due to the production of Stx. To decipher the mechanisms of adaptive resistance of the O157:H7 strain EDL933, we evolved clones of this bacterium resistant to a lethal dose of gamma irradiation by repeatedly exposing bacterial cells to irradiation following a growth restoration over six successive passages. Our findings provide evidence that adaptive selection involved modifications in the bacterial genome, including deletion of the CP-933V and BP-933W prophages. These mutations in EHEC O157:H7 resulted in loss of stx1 and stx2, loss of cytotoxicity to epithelial cells, and decreased resistance to acidity, critical virulence determinants of EHEC, concomitant with increased resistance to lethal irradiation and oxidative stress. These findings demonstrate that the potential adaptation of EHEC to high doses of radiation would involve elimination of the Stx-encoding phages and likely lead to a substantial attenuation of virulence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ghizlane Gaougaou
- INRS-Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Laval, Québec, Canada
- Research Laboratories in Sciences Applied to Food, Canadian Irradiation Centre, INRS-Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Laval, Québec, Canada
| | - Antony T. Vincent
- INRS-Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Laval, Québec, Canada
| | - Kateryna Krylova
- INRS-Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Laval, Québec, Canada
| | - Hajer Habouria
- INRS-Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Laval, Québec, Canada
| | - Hicham Bessaiah
- INRS-Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Laval, Québec, Canada
| | - Amina Baraketi
- Research Laboratories in Sciences Applied to Food, Canadian Irradiation Centre, INRS-Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Laval, Québec, Canada
| | | | - Charles M. Dozois
- INRS-Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Laval, Québec, Canada
| | - Eric Déziel
- INRS-Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Laval, Québec, Canada
| | - Monique Lacroix
- INRS-Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Laval, Québec, Canada
- Research Laboratories in Sciences Applied to Food, Canadian Irradiation Centre, INRS-Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Laval, Québec, Canada
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9
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Ma W, Guan X, Miao Y, Zhang L. Whole Genome Resequencing Revealed the Effect of Helicase yqhH Gene on Regulating Bacillus thuringiensis LLP29 against Ultraviolet Radiation Stress. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24065810. [PMID: 36982883 PMCID: PMC10054049 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24065810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is a widely used microbial pesticide. However, its duration of effectiveness is greatly shortened due to the irradiation of ultraviolet rays, which seriously hinders the application of Bt preparations. Therefore, it is of great importance to study the resistance mechanism of Bt to UV at the molecular level to improve the UV-resistance of Bt strains. In order to know the functional genes in the UV resistance, the genome of UV-induced mutant Bt LLP29-M19 was re-sequenced and compared with the original strain Bt LLP29. It was shown that there were 1318 SNPs, 31 InDels, and 206 SV between the mutant strain and the original strain Bt LLP29 after UV irradiation, which were then analyzed for gene annotation. Additionally, a mutated gene named yqhH, a member of helicase superfamily II, was detected as an important candidate. Then, yqhH was expressed and purified successfully. Through the result of the enzymatic activity in vitro, yqhH was found to have ATP hydrolase and helicase activities. In order to further verify its function, the yqhH gene was knocked out and complemented by homologous recombinant gene knockout technology. The survival rate of the knockout mutant strain Bt LLP29-ΔyqhH was significantly lower than that of the original strain Bt LLP29 and the back-complemented strain Bt LLP29-ΔyqhH-R after treated with UV. Meanwhile, the total helicase activity was not significantly different on whether Bt carried yqhH or not. All of these greatly enrich important molecular mechanisms of Bt when it is in UV stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weibo Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Key Laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education & Ministerial and Provincial Joint Innovation Centre for Safety Production of Cross-Strait Crops, College of Life Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Xiong Guan
- College of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Ying Miao
- College of Life Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Lingling Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Pest Control for Fujian and Taiwan Crops, Key Laboratory of Biopesticide and Chemical Biology of Ministry of Education & Ministerial and Provincial Joint Innovation Centre for Safety Production of Cross-Strait Crops, College of Life Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
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10
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Kalatzis PG, Mauritzen JJ, Winther-Have CS, Michniewski S, Millard A, Tsertou MI, Katharios P, Middelboe M. Staying below the Radar: Unraveling a New Family of Ubiquitous "Cryptic" Non-Tailed Temperate Vibriophages and Implications for Their Bacterial Hosts. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:3937. [PMID: 36835353 PMCID: PMC9966536 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophages are the most abundant biological entities in the oceans and play key roles in bacterial activity, diversity and evolution. While extensive research has been conducted on the role of tailed viruses (Class: Caudoviricetes), very little is known about the distribution and functions of the non-tailed viruses (Class: Tectiliviricetes). The recent discovery of the lytic Autolykiviridae family demonstrated the potential importance of this structural lineage, emphasizing the need for further exploration of the role of this group of marine viruses. Here, we report the novel family of temperate phages under the class of Tectiliviricetes, which we propose to name "Asemoviridae" with phage NO16 as a main representative. These phages are widely distributed across geographical regions and isolation sources and found inside the genomes of at least 30 species of Vibrio, in addition to the original V. anguillarum isolation host. Genomic analysis identified dif-like sites, suggesting that NO16 prophages recombine with the bacterial genome based on the XerCD site-specific recombination mechanism. The interactions between the NO16 phage and its V. anguillarum host were linked to cell density and phage-host ratio. High cell density and low phage predation levels were shown to favor the temperate over the lytic lifestyle for NO16 viruses, and their spontaneous induction rate was highly variable between different V. anguillarum lysogenic strains. NO16 prophages coexist with the V. anguillarum host in a mutualistic interaction by rendering fitness properties to the host, such as increased virulence and biofilm formation through lysogenic conversion, likely contributing to their global distribution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panos G. Kalatzis
- Marine Biological Section, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, 3000 Elsinore, Denmark
| | - Jesper Juel Mauritzen
- Marine Biological Section, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, 3000 Elsinore, Denmark
| | | | - Slawomir Michniewski
- Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
| | - Andrew Millard
- Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
| | - Maria Ioanna Tsertou
- Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Former American Base of Gournes, 71500 Heraklion, Greece
| | - Pantelis Katharios
- Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Former American Base of Gournes, 71500 Heraklion, Greece
| | - Mathias Middelboe
- Marine Biological Section, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, 3000 Elsinore, Denmark
- Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, 5230 Odense, Denmark
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11
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Mobile Element Integration Reveals a Chromosome Dimer Resolution System in Legionellales. mBio 2022; 13:e0217122. [PMID: 36314797 PMCID: PMC9765430 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02171-22] [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] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
In bacteria, the mechanisms used to repair DNA lesions during genome replication include homologous recombination between sister chromosomes. This can lead to the formation of chromosome dimers if an odd number of crossover events occurs. The dimers must be resolved before cell separation to ensure genomic stability and cell viability. Dimer resolution is achieved by the broadly conserved dif/Xer system, which catalyzes one additional crossover event immediately prior to cell separation. While dif/Xer systems have been characterized or predicted in the vast majority of proteobacteria, no homologs to dif or xer have been identified in the order Legionellales. Here, we report the discovery of a distinct single-recombinase dif/Xer system in the intracellular pathogen Legionella pneumophila. The dif site was uncovered by our analysis of Legionella mobile element-1 (LME-1), which harbors a dif site mimic and integrates into the L. pneumophila genome via site-specific recombination. We demonstrate that lpg1867 (here named xerL) encodes a tyrosine recombinase that is necessary and sufficient for catalyzing recombination at the dif site and that deletion of dif or xerL causes filamentation along with extracellular and intracellular growth defects. We show that the dif/XerL system is present throughout Legionellales and that Coxiella burnetii XerL and its cognate dif site can functionally substitute for the native system in L. pneumophila. Finally, we describe an unexpected link between C. burnetii dif/Xer and the maintenance of its virulence plasmids. IMPORTANCE The maintenance of circular chromosomes depends on the ability to resolve aberrant chromosome dimers after they form. In most proteobacteria, broadly conserved Xer recombinases catalyze single crossovers at short, species-specific dif sites located near the replication terminus. Chromosomal dimerization leads to the formation of two copies of dif within the same molecule, leading to rapid site-specific recombination and conversion back into chromosome monomers. The apparent absence of chromosome dimer resolution mechanisms in Legionellales has been a mystery to date. By studying a phage-like mobile genetic element, LME-1, we have identified a previously unknown single-recombinase dif/Xer system that is not only widespread across Legionellales but whose activity is linked to virulence in two important human pathogens.
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12
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Cryo-EM structure of ssDNA bacteriophage ΦCjT23 provides insight into early virus evolution. Nat Commun 2022; 13:7478. [PMID: 36463224 PMCID: PMC9719478 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35123-6] [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: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/07/2022] Open
Abstract
The origin of viruses remains an open question. While lack of detectable sequence similarity hampers the analysis of distantly related viruses, structural biology investigations of conserved capsid protein structures facilitate the study of distant evolutionary relationships. Here we characterize the lipid-containing ssDNA temperate bacteriophage ΦCjT23, which infects Flavobacterium sp. (Bacteroidetes). We report ΦCjT23-like sequences in the genome of strains belonging to several Flavobacterium species. The virion structure determined by cryogenic electron microscopy reveals similarities to members of the viral kingdom Bamfordvirae that currently consists solely of dsDNA viruses with a major capsid protein composed of two upright β-sandwiches. The minimalistic structure of ΦCjT23 suggests that this phage serves as a model for the last common ancestor between ssDNA and dsDNA viruses in the Bamfordvirae. Both ΦCjT23 and the related phage FLiP infect Flavobacterium species found in several environments, suggesting that these types of viruses have a global distribution and a shared evolutionary origin. Detailed comparisons to related, more complex viruses not only expand our knowledge about this group of viruses but also provide a rare glimpse into early virus evolution.
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13
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Ewald JM, Schnoor JL, Mattes TE. Combined read- and assembly-based metagenomics to reconstruct a Dehalococcoides mccartyi genome from PCB-contaminated sediments and evaluate functional differences among organohalide-respiring consortia in the presence of different halogenated contaminants. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2022; 98:6602352. [PMID: 35665806 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiac067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbial communities that support respiration of halogenated organic contaminants by Dehalococcoides sp. facilitate full-scale bioremediation of chlorinated ethenes and demonstrate the potential to aid in bioremediation of halogenated aromatics like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). However, it remains unclear if Dehalococcoides-containing microbial community dynamics observed in sediment-free systems quantitatively resemble that of sediment environments. To evaluate that possibility we assembled, annotated, and analyzed a Dehalococcoides sp. metagenome-assembled genome (MAG) from PCB-contaminated sediments. Phylogenetic analysis of reductive dehalogenase gene (rdhA) sequences within the MAG revealed that pcbA1 and pcbA4/5-like rdhA were absent, while several candidate PCB dehalogenase genes and potentially novel rdhA sequences were identified. Using a compositional comparative metagenomics approach, we quantified Dehalococcoides-containing microbial community structure shifts in response to halogenated organics and the presence of sediments. Functional level analysis revealed significantly greater abundances of genes associated with cobamide remodeling and horizontal gene transfer in tetrachloroethene-fed cultures as compared to halogenated aromatic-exposed consortia with or without sediments, despite little evidence of statistically significant differences in microbial community taxonomic structure. Our findings support the use of a generalizable comparative metagenomics workflow to evaluate Dehalococcoides-containing consortia in sediments and sediment-free environments to eludicate functions and microbial interactions that facilitate bioremediation of halogenated organic contaminants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica M Ewald
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 4105 Seamans Center, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - Jerald L Schnoor
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 4105 Seamans Center, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - Timothy E Mattes
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 4105 Seamans Center, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
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14
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Miele S, Provan JI, Vergne J, Possoz C, Ochsenbein F, Barre FX. The Xer activation factor of TLCΦ expands the possibilities for Xer recombination. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:6368-6383. [PMID: 35657090 PMCID: PMC9226527 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Revised: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The chromosome dimer resolution machinery of bacteria is generally composed of two tyrosine recombinases, XerC and XerD. They resolve chromosome dimers by adding a crossover between sister copies of a specific site, dif. The reaction depends on a cell division protein, FtsK, which activates XerD by protein-protein interactions. The toxin-linked cryptic satellite phage (TLCΦ) of Vibrio cholerae, which participates in the emergence of cholera epidemic strains, carries a dif-like attachment site (attP). TLCΦ exploits the Xer machinery to integrate into the dif site of its host chromosomes. The TLCΦ integration reaction escapes the control of FtsK because TLCΦ encodes for its own XerD-activation factor, XafT. Additionally, TLCΦ attP is a poor substrate for XerD binding, in apparent contradiction with the high integration efficiency of the phage. Here, we present a sequencing-based methodology to analyse the integration and excision efficiency of thousands of synthetic mini-TLCΦ plasmids with differing attP sites in vivo. This methodology is applicable to the fine-grained analyses of DNA transactions on a wider scale. In addition, we compared the efficiency with which XafT and the XerD-activation domain of FtsK drive recombination reactions in vitro. Our results suggest that XafT not only activates XerD-catalysis but also helps form and/or stabilize synaptic complexes between imperfect Xer recombination sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Solange Miele
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, 1 Avenue de la Terrasse, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - James Iain Provan
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, 1 Avenue de la Terrasse, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Justine Vergne
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, 1 Avenue de la Terrasse, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Christophe Possoz
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, 1 Avenue de la Terrasse, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Françoise Ochsenbein
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, 1 Avenue de la Terrasse, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - François-Xavier Barre
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, 1 Avenue de la Terrasse, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
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15
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Comparative Genomics Revealed Wide Intra-Species Genetic Heterogeneity and Lineage-Specific Genes of Akkermansia muciniphila. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0243921. [PMID: 35536024 PMCID: PMC9241678 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02439-21] [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: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Akkermansia muciniphila has potential as a next-generation probiotic, but few previous studies attempted to analyze its intraspecies population diversity. In this study, we performed a comparative genomic analysis of 112 filtered genomes from the NCBI database. The populations formed three clades (A-C) on the phylogenetic tree, suggesting the existence of three genetic lineages though clades B and C were phylogenetically closer than clade A. The three clades also showed geographic-based clustering, different genetic characteristics, and clade-specific genes. Two putative functional genes (RecD2 and xerD) were specific to clade C due to genomic islands. These lineage-specific genes might be associated with differences in genomic features (number of phages/genomic islands, pan-core genome, recombination rate, genetic diversity) between genetic lineages. The carbohydrate utilization gene profile (particularly for glycolytic hydrolases and carbohydrate esterases) also varied between clades, suggesting different carbohydrate metabolism potential/requirements between genetic lineages. Our findings provide important implications for future research on A. muciniphila. IMPORTANCEAkkermansia muciniphila has been widely accepted as part of the next generation of probiotics. However, most current studies on A. muciniphila have focused on the application of type strain BAA835T in the treatment of diseases, while few studies have reported on the genomic specificity, population structure, and functional characteristics of A. muciniphila species. By comparing the genomes of 112 strains from NCBI which met the quality control conditions, we found that the A. muciniphila population could be divided into three main clades (clades A to C) and presented a certain regional aggregation. There are significant differences among the three clades in their genetic characteristics and functional genes (the type strain BAA835T was located in clade A), especially in genes related to carbohydrate metabolism. It should be mentioned that probiotics should be a concept at the strain level rather than at the gut species level, so the probiotic properties of A. muciniphila need to be carefully interpreted.
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16
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Wang Y, Zhang G, Zhong L, Qian M, Wang M, Cui R. Filamentous bacteriophages, natural nanoparticles, for viral vaccine strategies. NANOSCALE 2022; 14:5942-5959. [PMID: 35389413 DOI: 10.1039/d1nr08064d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Filamentous bacteriophages are natural nanoparticles formed by the self-assembly of structural proteins that have the capability of replication and infection. They are used as a highly efficient vaccine platform to enhance immunogenicity and effectively stimulate the innate and adaptive immune response. Compared with traditional vaccines, phage-based vaccines offer thermodynamic stability, biocompatibility, homogeneity, high carrying capacity, self-assembly, scalability, and low toxicity. This review summarizes recent research on phage-based vaccines in virus prevention. In addition, the expression systems of filamentous phage-based virus vaccines and their application principles are discussed. Moreover, the prospect of the prevention of emerging infectious diseases, such as coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19), is also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yicun Wang
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory on Molecular and Chemical Genetic, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130024, China.
| | - Guangxin Zhang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Lili Zhong
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory on Molecular and Chemical Genetic, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130024, China.
| | - Min Qian
- Department of Neonatology, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Meng Wang
- Department of Respiratory Medical Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, China
| | - Ranji Cui
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory on Molecular and Chemical Genetic, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130024, China.
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17
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Biswas Q, Purohit A, Kumar A, Rakshit D, Maiti D, Das B, Bhadra RK. Genetic and mutational analysis of virulence traits and their modulation in an environmental toxigenic Vibrio cholerae non-O1/non-O139 strain, VCE232. MICROBIOLOGY (READING, ENGLAND) 2022; 168. [PMID: 35113781 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.001135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Vibrio cholerae O1 and O139 isolates deploy cholera toxin (CT) and toxin-coregulated pilus (TCP) to cause the diarrhoeal disease cholera. The ctxAB and tcpA genes encoding CT and TCP are part of two acquired genetic elements, the CTX phage and Vibrio pathogenicity island-1 (VPI-1), respectively. ToxR and ToxT proteins are the key regulators of virulence genes of V. cholerae O1 and O139. V. cholerae isolates belonging to serogroups other than O1/O139, called non-O1/non-O139, are usually devoid of virulence-related elements and are non-pathogenic. Here, we have analysed the available whole genome sequence of an environmental toxigenic V. cholerae non-O1/non-O139 strain, VCE232, carrying the CTX phage and VPI-1. Extensive bioinformatics and phylogenetic analyses indicated high similarity of the VCE232 genome sequence with the genome of V. cholerae O1 strains, including organization of the VPI-1 locus, ctxAB, tcpA and toxT genes, and promoters. We established that the VCE232 strain produces an optimal amount of CT at 30 °C under AKI conditions. To investigate the role of ToxT and ToxR in the regulation of virulence factors, we constructed ΔtoxT, ΔtoxR and ΔtoxTΔtoxR deletion mutants of VCE232. Extensive genetic analyses of these mutants indicated that the toxT and toxR genes of VCE232 are crucial for CT and TCP production. However, unlike O1 isolates, the presence of either toxT or toxR gene is sufficient for optimal CT production in VCE232. In addition, the VCE232 ΔtoxR mutant showed differential regulation of the major outer membrane proteins, OmpT and OmpU. This is the first attempt to explore the regulation of expression of major virulence genes and regulators in an environmental toxigenic V. cholerae non-O1/non-O139 strain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quoelee Biswas
- Infectious Diseases and Immunology Division, CSIR - Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata 700 032, India
| | - Ayushi Purohit
- Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad 121 001, India
| | - Ashok Kumar
- Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad 121 001, India
- School of Life Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal 576 104, Karnataka, India
| | - Dipayan Rakshit
- Infectious Diseases and Immunology Division, CSIR - Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata 700 032, India
| | - Diganta Maiti
- Infectious Diseases and Immunology Division, CSIR - Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata 700 032, India
| | - Bhabatosh Das
- Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad 121 001, India
- School of Life Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal 576 104, Karnataka, India
| | - Rupak K Bhadra
- Infectious Diseases and Immunology Division, CSIR - Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata 700 032, India
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18
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Mäntynen S, Laanto E, Oksanen HM, Poranen MM, Díaz-Muñoz SL. Black box of phage-bacterium interactions: exploring alternative phage infection strategies. Open Biol 2021; 11:210188. [PMID: 34520699 PMCID: PMC8440029 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.210188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The canonical lytic-lysogenic binary has been challenged in recent years, as more evidence has emerged on alternative bacteriophage infection strategies. These infection modes are little studied, and yet they appear to be more abundant and ubiquitous in nature than previously recognized, and can play a significant role in the ecology and evolution of their bacterial hosts. In this review, we discuss the extent, causes and consequences of alternative phage lifestyles, and clarify conceptual and terminological confusion to facilitate research progress. We propose distinct definitions for the terms 'pseudolysogeny' and 'productive or non-productive chronic infection', and distinguish them from the carrier state life cycle, which describes a population-level phenomenon. Our review also finds that phages may change their infection modes in response to environmental conditions or the physiological state of the host cell. We outline known molecular mechanisms underlying the alternative phage-host interactions, including specific genetic pathways and their considerable biotechnological potential. Moreover, we discuss potential implications of the alternative phage lifestyles for microbial biology and ecosystem functioning, as well as applied topics such as phage therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sari Mäntynen
- Molecular and Integrative Biosciences Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 9, 00014 Helsinki, Finland,Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Elina Laanto
- Molecular and Integrative Biosciences Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 9, 00014 Helsinki, Finland,Department of Biological and Environmental Science and Nanoscience Center, University of Jyväskylä, Survontie 9, 40014 Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Hanna M. Oksanen
- Molecular and Integrative Biosciences Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 9, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Minna M. Poranen
- Molecular and Integrative Biosciences Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 9, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Samuel L. Díaz-Muñoz
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA,Genome Center, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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19
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Robinson L, Liaw J, Omole Z, Xia D, van Vliet AHM, Corcionivoschi N, Hachani A, Gundogdu O. Bioinformatic Analysis of the Campylobacter jejuni Type VI Secretion System and Effector Prediction. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:694824. [PMID: 34276628 PMCID: PMC8285248 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.694824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The Type VI Secretion System (T6SS) has important roles relating to bacterial antagonism, subversion of host cells, and niche colonisation. Campylobacter jejuni is one of the leading bacterial causes of human gastroenteritis worldwide and is a commensal coloniser of birds. Although recently discovered, the T6SS biological functions and identities of its effectors are still poorly defined in C. jejuni. Here, we perform a comprehensive bioinformatic analysis of the C. jejuni T6SS by investigating the prevalence and genetic architecture of the T6SS in 513 publicly available genomes using C. jejuni 488 strain as reference. A unique and conserved T6SS cluster associated with the Campylobacter jejuni Integrated Element 3 (CJIE3) was identified in the genomes of 117 strains. Analyses of the T6SS-positive 488 strain against the T6SS-negative C. jejuni RM1221 strain and the T6SS-positive plasmid pCJDM202 carried by C. jejuni WP2-202 strain defined the “T6SS-containing CJIE3” as a pathogenicity island, thus renamed as Campylobacter jejuni Pathogenicity Island-1 (CJPI-1). Analysis of CJPI-1 revealed two canonical VgrG homologues, CJ488_0978 and CJ488_0998, harbouring distinct C-termini in a genetically variable region downstream of the T6SS operon. CJPI-1 was also found to carry a putative DinJ-YafQ Type II toxin-antitoxin (TA) module, conserved across pCJDM202 and the genomic island CJIE3, as well as several open reading frames functionally predicted to encode for nucleases, lipases, and peptidoglycan hydrolases. This comprehensive in silico study provides a framework for experimental characterisation of T6SS-related effectors and TA modules in C. jejuni.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Robinson
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Janie Liaw
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Zahra Omole
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Dong Xia
- Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Arnoud H M van Vliet
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, United Kingdom
| | - Nicolae Corcionivoschi
- Bacteriology Branch, Veterinary Sciences Division, Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Belfast, United Kingdom.,Bioengineering of Animal Science Resources, Banat University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine - King Michael the I of Romania, Timisoara, Romania
| | - Abderrahman Hachani
- The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Ozan Gundogdu
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
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20
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Smyshlyaev G, Bateman A, Barabas O. Sequence analysis of tyrosine recombinases allows annotation of mobile genetic elements in prokaryotic genomes. Mol Syst Biol 2021; 17:e9880. [PMID: 34018328 PMCID: PMC8138268 DOI: 10.15252/msb.20209880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Revised: 04/18/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Mobile genetic elements (MGEs) sequester and mobilize antibiotic resistance genes across bacterial genomes. Efficient and reliable identification of such elements is necessary to follow resistance spreading. However, automated tools for MGE identification are missing. Tyrosine recombinase (YR) proteins drive MGE mobilization and could provide markers for MGE detection, but they constitute a diverse family also involved in housekeeping functions. Here, we conducted a comprehensive survey of YRs from bacterial, archaeal, and phage genomes and developed a sequence-based classification system that dissects the characteristics of MGE-borne YRs. We revealed that MGE-related YRs evolved from non-mobile YRs by acquisition of a regulatory arm-binding domain that is essential for their mobility function. Based on these results, we further identified numerous unknown MGEs. This work provides a resource for comparative analysis and functional annotation of YRs and aids the development of computational tools for MGE annotation. Additionally, we reveal how YRs adapted to drive gene transfer across species and provide a tool to better characterize antibiotic resistance dissemination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgy Smyshlyaev
- European Molecular Biology LaboratoryEuropean Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL‐EBI)HinxtonUK
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL)Structural and Computational Biology UnitHeidelbergGermany
- Department of Molecular BiologyUniversity of GenevaGenevaSwitzerland
| | - Alex Bateman
- European Molecular Biology LaboratoryEuropean Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL‐EBI)HinxtonUK
| | - Orsolya Barabas
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL)Structural and Computational Biology UnitHeidelbergGermany
- Department of Molecular BiologyUniversity of GenevaGenevaSwitzerland
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21
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Piligrimova EG, Kazantseva OA, Kazantsev AN, Nikulin NA, Skorynina AV, Koposova ON, Shadrin AM. Putative plasmid prophages of Bacillus cereus sensu lato may hold the key to undiscovered phage diversity. Sci Rep 2021; 11:7611. [PMID: 33828147 PMCID: PMC8026635 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-87111-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophages are bacterial viruses and the most abundant biological entities on Earth. Temperate bacteriophages can form prophages stably maintained in the host population: they either integrate into the host genome or replicate as plasmids in the host cytoplasm. As shown, tailed temperate bacteriophages may form circular plasmid prophages in many bacterial species of the taxa Firmicutes, Gammaproteobacteria and Spirochaetes. The actual number of such prophages is thought to be underestimated for two main reasons: first, in bacterial whole genome-sequencing assemblies, they are difficult to distinguish from actual plasmids; second, there is an absence of experimental studies which are vital to confirm their existence. In Firmicutes, such prophages appear to be especially numerous. In the present study, we identified 23 genomes from species of the Bacillus cereus group that were deposited in GenBank as plasmids and may belong to plasmid prophages with little or no homology to known viruses. We consider these putative prophages worth experimental assays since it will broaden our knowledge of phage diversity and suggest that more attention be paid to such molecules in all bacterial sequencing projects as this will help in identifying previously unknown phages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma G Piligrimova
- Laboratory of Bacteriophage Biology, G.K. Skryabin Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Federal Research Center, 142290, Pushchino, Russia.
| | - Olesya A Kazantseva
- Laboratory of Bacteriophage Biology, G.K. Skryabin Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Federal Research Center, 142290, Pushchino, Russia
| | - Andrey N Kazantsev
- P. N. Lebedev Physical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino Radio Astronomy Observatory, Pushchino, 142290, Russia
| | - Nikita A Nikulin
- Laboratory of Bacteriophage Biology, G.K. Skryabin Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Federal Research Center, 142290, Pushchino, Russia
| | - Anna V Skorynina
- Laboratory of Bacteriophage Biology, G.K. Skryabin Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Federal Research Center, 142290, Pushchino, Russia
| | - Olga N Koposova
- Laboratory of Bacteriophage Biology, G.K. Skryabin Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Federal Research Center, 142290, Pushchino, Russia
| | - Andrey M Shadrin
- Laboratory of Bacteriophage Biology, G.K. Skryabin Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Federal Research Center, 142290, Pushchino, Russia.
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Skorynina AV, Piligrimova EG, Kazantseva OA, Kulyabin VA, Baicher SD, Ryabova NA, Shadrin AM. Bacillus-infecting bacteriophage Izhevsk harbors thermostable endolysin with broad range specificity. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0242657. [PMID: 33232350 PMCID: PMC7685451 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0242657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Several bacterial species belonging to the Bacillus cereus group are known to be causative agents of food poisoning and severe human diseases. Bacteriophages and their lytic enzymes called endolysins have been widely shown to provide for a supplemental or primary means of treating bacterial infections. In this work we present a new broad-host-range phage Izhevsk, which infects the members of the Bacillus cereus group. Transmission electron microscopy, genome sequencing and comparative analyses revealed that Izhevsk is a temperate phage with Siphoviridae morphology and belongs to the same genus as the previously described but taxonomically unclassified bacteriophages Tsamsa and Diildio. The Ply57 endolysin of Izhevsk phage has broad-spectrum activity against B. cereus sensu lato. The thermolability of Ply57 is higher than that of the PlyG of Wβ phage. This work contributes to our current understanding of phage biodiversity and may be useful for further development of efficient antimicrobials aimed at diagnosing and treating infectious diseases and food contaminations caused by the Bacillus cereus group of bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna V. Skorynina
- G.K. Skryabin Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Federal Research Center, Pushchino, Russia
| | - Emma G. Piligrimova
- G.K. Skryabin Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Federal Research Center, Pushchino, Russia
| | - Olesya A. Kazantseva
- G.K. Skryabin Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Federal Research Center, Pushchino, Russia
| | - Vladislav A. Kulyabin
- G.K. Skryabin Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Federal Research Center, Pushchino, Russia
| | - Svetlana D. Baicher
- G.K. Skryabin Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Federal Research Center, Pushchino, Russia
| | | | - Andrey M. Shadrin
- G.K. Skryabin Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Federal Research Center, Pushchino, Russia
- * E-mail: ,
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23
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Safa A, Jime JS, Shahel F. Cholera toxin phage: structural and functional diversity between Vibrio cholerae biotypes. AIMS Microbiol 2020; 6:144-151. [PMID: 32617446 PMCID: PMC7326730 DOI: 10.3934/microbiol.2020009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2020] [Accepted: 05/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Cholera is a severe form of watery diarrhea caused by Vibrio cholerae toxigenic strains. Typically, the toxigenic variants of V. cholerae harbor a bacteriophage, cholera toxin phage, integrated in their genome. The ctxAB genes from the phage genome encode the cholera toxin, which is responsible for the major clinical symptoms of the disease. Although ctxAB genes are crucial to V. cholerae strains for cholera manifestation, the genetic structure of cholera toxin phage, DNA sequence of its genes, spatial organization in the host genome and its satellite phage content are not homogenous between V. cholerae biotypes-classical and El Tor. Differences in cholera toxin phage and its genes play a significant role in the identification of V. cholerae biotypes and in the understanding of their pathogenic and epidemic potentials. Here, we present an account of the variations of cholera toxin phage and its genes in V. cholerae biotypes as well as their usefulness in the identification of classical and El Tor strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashrafus Safa
- School of Environment and Life Sciences, Independent University, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Jinath Sultana Jime
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, School of Health and Life Sciences, North South University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Farishta Shahel
- School of Environment and Life Sciences, Independent University, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
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24
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Mageeney CM, Lau BY, Wagner JM, Hudson CM, Schoeniger JS, Krishnakumar R, Williams KP. New candidates for regulated gene integrity revealed through precise mapping of integrative genetic elements. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:4052-4065. [PMID: 32182341 PMCID: PMC7192596 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2020] [Revised: 02/26/2020] [Accepted: 02/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Integrative genetic elements (IGEs) are mobile multigene DNA units that integrate into and excise from host bacterial genomes. Each IGE usually targets a specific site within a conserved host gene, integrating in a manner that preserves target gene function. However, a small number of bacterial genes are known to be inactivated upon IGE integration and reactivated upon excision, regulating phenotypes of virulence, mutation rate, and terminal differentiation in multicellular bacteria. The list of regulated gene integrity (RGI) cases has been slow-growing because IGEs have been challenging to precisely and comprehensively locate in genomes. We present software (TIGER) that maps IGEs with unprecedented precision and without attB site bias. TIGER uses a comparative genomic, ping-pong BLAST approach, based on the principle that the IGE integration module (i.e. its int-attP region) is cohesive. The resultant IGEs from 2168 genomes, along with integrase phylogenetic analysis and gene inactivation tests, revealed 19 new cases of genes whose integrity is regulated by IGEs (including dut, eccCa1, gntT, hrpB, merA, ompN, prkA, tqsA, traG, yifB, yfaT and ynfE), as well as recovering previously known cases (in sigK, spsM, comK, mlrA and hlb genes). It also recovered known clades of site-promiscuous integrases and identified possible new ones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine M Mageeney
- Sandia National Laboratories, Systems Biology Department, Livermore, CA 94551-0969, USA
| | - Britney Y Lau
- Sandia National Laboratories, Systems Biology Department, Livermore, CA 94551-0969, USA
| | - Julian M Wagner
- Sandia National Laboratories, Systems Biology Department, Livermore, CA 94551-0969, USA
| | - Corey M Hudson
- Sandia National Laboratories, Systems Biology Department, Livermore, CA 94551-0969, USA
| | - Joseph S Schoeniger
- Sandia National Laboratories, Systems Biology Department, Livermore, CA 94551-0969, USA
| | - Raga Krishnakumar
- Sandia National Laboratories, Systems Biology Department, Livermore, CA 94551-0969, USA
| | - Kelly P Williams
- Sandia National Laboratories, Systems Biology Department, Livermore, CA 94551-0969, USA
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25
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Characterization of the Chromosome Dimer Resolution Site in Caulobacter crescentus. J Bacteriol 2019; 201:JB.00391-19. [PMID: 31548274 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00391-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2019] [Accepted: 09/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Chromosome dimers occur in bacterial cells as a result of the recombinational repair of DNA. In most bacteria, chromosome dimers are resolved by XerCD site-specific recombination at the dif (deletion-induced filamentation) site located in the terminus region of the chromosome. Caulobacter crescentus, a Gram-negative oligotrophic bacterium, also possesses Xer recombinases, called CcXerC and CcXerD, which have been shown to interact with the Escherichia coli dif site in vitro Previous studies on Caulobacter have suggested the presence of a dif site (referred to in this paper as dif1CC ), but no in vitro data have shown any association with this site and the CcXer proteins. Using recursive hidden Markov modeling, another group has proposed a second dif site, which we call dif2CC , which shows more similarity to the dif consensus sequence. Here, by using a combination of in vitro experiments, we compare the affinities and the cleavage abilities of CcXerCD recombinases for both dif sites. Our results show that dif2CC displays a higher affinity for CcXerC and CcXerD and is bound cooperatively by these proteins, which is not the case for the original dif1CC site. Furthermore, dif2CC nicked substrates are more efficiently cleaved by CcXerCD, and deletion of the site results in about 5 to 10% of cells showing an altered cellular morphology.IMPORTANCE Bacteria utilize site-specific recombination for a variety of purposes, including the control of gene expression, acquisition of genetic elements, and the resolution of dimeric chromosomes. Failure to resolve dimeric chromosomes can lead to cell division defects in a percentage of the cell population. The work presented here shows the existence of a chromosomal resolution system in C. crescentus Defects in this resolution system result in the formation of chains of cells. Further understanding of how these cells remain linked together will help in the understanding of how chromosome segregation and cell division are linked in C. crescentus.
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Midonet C, Miele S, Paly E, Guerois R, Barre FX. The TLCΦ satellite phage harbors a Xer recombination activation factor. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:18391-18396. [PMID: 31420511 PMCID: PMC6744903 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1902905116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The circular chromosomes of bacteria can be concatenated into dimers by homologous recombination. Dimers are solved by the addition of a cross-over at a specific chromosomal site, dif, by 2 related tyrosine recombinases, XerC and XerD. Each enzyme catalyzes the exchange of a specific pair of strands. Some plasmids exploit the Xer machinery for concatemer resolution. Other mobile elements exploit it to integrate into the genome of their host. Chromosome dimer resolution is initiated by XerD. The reaction is under the control of a cell-division protein, FtsK, which activates XerD by a direct contact. Most mobile elements exploit FtsK-independent Xer recombination reactions initiated by XerC. The only notable exception is the toxin-linked cryptic satellite phage of Vibrio cholerae, TLCΦ, which integrates into and excises from the dif site of the primary chromosome of its host by a reaction initiated by XerD. However, the reaction remains independent of FtsK. Here, we show that TLCΦ carries a Xer recombination activation factor, XafT. We demonstrate in vitro that XafT activates XerD catalysis. Correspondingly, we found that XafT specifically interacts with XerD. We further show that integrative mobile elements exploiting Xer (IMEXs) encoding a XafT-like protein are widespread in gamma- and beta-proteobacteria, including human, animal, and plant pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Midonet
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Université Paris-Saclay, Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives, CNRS, Université Paris Sud, 91198 Gif sur Yvette, France
| | - Solange Miele
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Université Paris-Saclay, Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives, CNRS, Université Paris Sud, 91198 Gif sur Yvette, France
| | - Evelyne Paly
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Université Paris-Saclay, Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives, CNRS, Université Paris Sud, 91198 Gif sur Yvette, France
| | - Raphaël Guerois
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Université Paris-Saclay, Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives, CNRS, Université Paris Sud, 91198 Gif sur Yvette, France
| | - François-Xavier Barre
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Université Paris-Saclay, Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives, CNRS, Université Paris Sud, 91198 Gif sur Yvette, France
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27
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CTX phage of Vibrio cholerae: Genomics and applications. Vaccine 2019; 38 Suppl 1:A7-A12. [PMID: 31272871 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2019.06.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2019] [Revised: 04/22/2019] [Accepted: 06/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The bipartite genome of Vibrio cholerae is divided into two circular non-homologous chromosomes, which harbor several genetic elements like phages, plasmids, transposons, integrative conjugative elements, and pathogenic islands that encode functions responsible for disease development, antimicrobial resistance, and subsistence in hostile environments. These elements are highly heterogeneous, mobile in nature, and encode their own mobility functions or exploit host-encoded enzymes for intra- and inter-cellular movements. The key toxin of V. cholerae responsible for the life-threatening diarrheal disease cholera, the cholera toxin, is coded by part of the genome of a filamentous phage, CTXϕ. The replicative genome of CTXϕ is divided into two distinct modular structures and has adopted a unique strategy for its irreversible integration into the V. cholerae chromosomes. CTXϕ exploits two host-encoded tyrosine recombinases, XerC and XerD, for its integration in the highly conserved dimer resolution site (dif) of V. cholerae chromosomes. CTXϕ can replicate only in the limited number of Vibrio species. In contrast, the phage integration into the bacterial chromosome does not rely on its replication and could integrate to the dif site of large numbers of gram-negative bacteria. Recent pangenomic analysis revealed that like CTXϕ, the bacterial dif site is the integration spot for several other mobile genetic elements such as plasmids and genomic islands. In this review we discuss about current molecular insights into CTXϕ genomics and its replication and integration mechanisms into hosts. Particular emphasis has been given on the exploitation of CTXϕ genomics knowledge in developing genetic tools and designing environmentally safe recombinant live oral cholera vaccine strains.
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28
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Callaghan MM, Heilers JH, van der Does C, Dillard JP. Secretion of Chromosomal DNA by the Neisseria gonorrhoeae Type IV Secretion System. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 2019; 413:323-345. [PMID: 29536365 PMCID: PMC5935271 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-75241-9_13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Approximately 80% of Neisseria gonorrhoeae and 17.5% of Neisseria meningitidis clinical isolates carry a ~59 kb genomic island known as the gonococcal genetic island (GGI). About half of the GGI consists of genes encoding a type IV secretion system (T4SS), and most of these genes are clustered in a ~28 kb region at one end of the GGI. Two additional genes (parA and parB) are found at the other end of the island. The remainder of the GGI consists mostly of hypothetical proteins, with several being identified as DNA-binding or DNA-processing proteins. The T4SS genes show similarity to those of the F-plasmid family of conjugation systems, with similarity in gene order and a low but significant level of sequence identity for the encoded proteins. However, several GGI-encoded proteins are unique from the F-plasmid system, such as AtlA, Yag, and TraA. Interestingly, the gonococcal T4SS does not act as a conjugation system. Instead, this T4SS secretes ssDNA into the extracellular milieu, where it can serve to transform highly competent Neisseria species, thereby increasing the transfer of genetic information. Although many of the T4SS proteins are expressed at low levels, this system has been implicated in several cellular processes. The secreted ssDNA is involved in the initial stages of biofilm formation, and the presence of the T4SS enables TonB-independent intracellular survival of N. gonorrhoeae strains during infection of cervical cells. Other GGI-like T4SSs have been identified in several other α-, β-, and γ-proteobacteria, but the function of these GGI-like T4SSs is unknown. Remarkably, the presence of the GGI is related to resistance to several antibiotics. Here, we describe our current knowledge about the GGI and its unique ssDNA-secreting T4SS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie M Callaghan
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1550 Linden Dr, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Jan-Hendrik Heilers
- Institut für Biologie II-Mikrobiologie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Schänzlestraße 1, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Chris van der Does
- Institut für Biologie II-Mikrobiologie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Schänzlestraße 1, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Joseph P Dillard
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1550 Linden Dr, Madison, WI, 53706, USA.
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29
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Dorman MJ, Domman D, Uddin MI, Sharmin S, Afrad MH, Begum YA, Qadri F, Thomson NR. High quality reference genomes for toxigenic and non-toxigenic Vibrio cholerae serogroup O139. Sci Rep 2019; 9:5865. [PMID: 30971707 PMCID: PMC6458141 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-41883-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2018] [Accepted: 03/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Toxigenic Vibrio cholerae of the O139 serogroup have been responsible for several large cholera epidemics in South Asia, and continue to be of clinical and historical significance today. This serogroup was initially feared to represent a new, emerging V. cholerae clone that would lead to an eighth cholera pandemic. However, these concerns were ultimately unfounded. The majority of clinically relevant V. cholerae O139 isolates are closely related to serogroup O1, biotype El Tor V. cholerae, and comprise a single sublineage of the seventh pandemic El Tor lineage. Although related, these V. cholerae serogroups differ in several fundamental ways, in terms of their O-antigen, capsulation phenotype, and the genomic islands found on their chromosomes. Here, we present four complete, high-quality genomes for V. cholerae O139, obtained using long-read sequencing. Three of these sequences are from toxigenic V. cholerae, and one is from a bacterium which, although classified serologically as V. cholerae O139, lacks the CTXφ bacteriophage and the ability to produce cholera toxin. We highlight fundamental genomic differences between these isolates, the V. cholerae O1 reference strain N16961, and the prototypical O139 strain MO10. These sequences are an important resource for the scientific community, and will improve greatly our ability to perform genomic analyses of non-O1 V. cholerae in the future. These genomes also offer new insights into the biology of a V. cholerae serogroup that, from a genomic perspective, is poorly understood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Dorman
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, CB10 1SA, United Kingdom
| | - Daryl Domman
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, CB10 1SA, United Kingdom
| | - Muhammad Ikhtear Uddin
- Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Salma Sharmin
- Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Mokibul Hassan Afrad
- Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Yasmin Ara Begum
- Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Firdausi Qadri
- Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
| | - Nicholas R Thomson
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire, CB10 1SA, United Kingdom.
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, United Kingdom.
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30
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Sharma RS, Karmakar S, Kumar P, Mishra V. Application of filamentous phages in environment: A tectonic shift in the science and practice of ecorestoration. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:2263-2304. [PMID: 30847110 PMCID: PMC6392359 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2017] [Revised: 08/25/2018] [Accepted: 10/30/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Theories in soil biology, such as plant-microbe interactions and microbial cooperation and antagonism, have guided the practice of ecological restoration (ecorestoration). Below-ground biodiversity (bacteria, fungi, invertebrates, etc.) influences the development of above-ground biodiversity (vegetation structure). The role of rhizosphere bacteria in plant growth has been largely investigated but the role of phages (bacterial viruses) has received a little attention. Below the ground, phages govern the ecology and evolution of microbial communities by affecting genetic diversity, host fitness, population dynamics, community composition, and nutrient cycling. However, few restoration efforts take into account the interactions between bacteria and phages. Unlike other phages, filamentous phages are highly specific, nonlethal, and influence host fitness in several ways, which make them useful as target bacterial inocula. Also, the ease with which filamentous phages can be genetically manipulated to express a desired peptide to track and control pathogens and contaminants makes them useful in biosensing. Based on ecology and biology of filamentous phages, we developed a hypothesis on the application of phages in environment to derive benefits at different levels of biological organization ranging from individual bacteria to ecosystem for ecorestoration. We examined the potential applications of filamentous phages in improving bacterial inocula to restore vegetation and to monitor changes in habitat during ecorestoration and, based on our results, recommend a reorientation of the existing framework of using microbial inocula for such restoration and monitoring. Because bacterial inocula and biomonitoring tools based on filamentous phages are likely to prove useful in developing cost-effective methods of restoring vegetation, we propose that filamentous phages be incorporated into nature-based restoration efforts and that the tripartite relationship between phages, bacteria, and plants be explored further. Possible impacts of filamentous phages on native microflora are discussed and future areas of research are suggested to preclude any potential risks associated with such an approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Radhey Shyam Sharma
- Bioresources and Environmental Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Environmental StudiesUniversity of DelhiDelhiIndia
| | - Swagata Karmakar
- Bioresources and Environmental Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Environmental StudiesUniversity of DelhiDelhiIndia
| | - Pankaj Kumar
- Bioresources and Environmental Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Environmental StudiesUniversity of DelhiDelhiIndia
| | - Vandana Mishra
- Bioresources and Environmental Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Environmental StudiesUniversity of DelhiDelhiIndia
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31
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Li Y, Liu X, Tang K, Wang P, Zeng Z, Guo Y, Wang X. Excisionase in Pf filamentous prophage controls lysis-lysogeny decision-making in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Mol Microbiol 2018; 111:495-513. [PMID: 30475408 PMCID: PMC7379572 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Pf filamentous prophages are prevalent among clinical and environmental Pseudomonasaeruginosa isolates. Pf4 and Pf5 prophages are integrated into the host genomes of PAO1 and PA14, respectively, and play an important role in biofilm development. However, the genetic factors that directly control the lysis‐lysogeny switch in Pf prophages remain unclear. Here, we identified and characterized the excisionase genes in Pf4 and Pf5 (named xisF4 and xisF5, respectively). XisF4 and XisF5 represent two major subfamilies of functional excisionases and are commonly found in Pf prophages. While both of them can significantly promote prophage excision, only XisF5 is essential for Pf5 excision. XisF4 activates Pf4 phage replication by upregulating the phage initiator gene (PA0727). In addition, xisF4 and the neighboring phage repressor c gene pf4r are transcribed divergently and their 5′‐untranslated regions overlap. XisF4 and Pf4r not only auto‐activate their own expression but also repress each other. Furthermore, two H‐NS family proteins, MvaT and MvaU, coordinately repress Pf4 production by directly repressing xisF4. Collectively, we reveal that Pf prophage excisionases cooperate in controlling lysogeny and phage production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangmei Li
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Marine Materia Medica, RNAM Center for Marine Microbiology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301, PR China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xiaoxiao Liu
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Marine Materia Medica, RNAM Center for Marine Microbiology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301, PR China
| | - Kaihao Tang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Marine Materia Medica, RNAM Center for Marine Microbiology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301, PR China
| | - Pengxia Wang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Marine Materia Medica, RNAM Center for Marine Microbiology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301, PR China
| | - Zhenshun Zeng
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Marine Materia Medica, RNAM Center for Marine Microbiology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301, PR China
| | - Yunxue Guo
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Marine Materia Medica, RNAM Center for Marine Microbiology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301, PR China
| | - Xiaoxue Wang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Marine Materia Medica, RNAM Center for Marine Microbiology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301, PR China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
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32
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Pham TD, Nguyen TH, Iwashita H, Takemura T, Morita K, Yamashiro T. Comparative analyses of CTX prophage region of Vibrio cholerae seventh pandemic wave 1 strains isolated in Asia. Microbiol Immunol 2018; 62:635-650. [PMID: 30211956 PMCID: PMC6220881 DOI: 10.1111/1348-0421.12648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2018] [Revised: 09/02/2018] [Accepted: 09/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Vibrio cholerae O1 causes cholera, and cholera toxin, the principal mediator of massive diarrhea, is encoded by ctxAB in the cholera toxin (CTX) prophage. In this study, the structures of the CTX prophage region of V. cholerae strains isolated during the seventh pandemic wave 1 in Asian countries were determined and compared. Eighteen strains were categorized into eight groups by CTX prophage region‐specific restriction fragment length polymorphism and PCR profiles and the structure of the region of a representative strain from each group was determined by DNA sequencing. Eight representative strains revealed eight distinct CTX prophage regions with various combinations of CTX‐1, RS1 and a novel genomic island on chromosome I. CTX prophage regions carried by the wave 1 strains were diverse in structure. V. cholerae strains with an area specific CTX prophage region are believed to circulate in South‐East Asian countries; additionally, multiple strains with distinct types of CTX prophage region are co‐circulating in the area. Analysis of a phylogenetic tree generated by single nucleotide polymorphism differences across 2483 core genes revealed that V. cholerae strains categorized in the same group based on CTX prophage region structure were segregated in closer clusters. CTX prophage region‐specific recombination events or gain and loss of genomic elements within the region may have occurred at much higher frequencies and contributed to producing a panel of CTX prophage regions with distinct structures among V. cholerae pathogenic strains in lineages with close genetic backgrounds in the early wave 1 period of the seventh cholera pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tho Duc Pham
- Leading Program, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Tuan Hai Nguyen
- Leading Program, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Hanako Iwashita
- Department of Bacteriology, Graduate School of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, Nishihara, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Taichiro Takemura
- Leading Program, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan.,Vietnam Research Station, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Kouichi Morita
- Leading Program, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan.,Department of Virology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Tetsu Yamashiro
- Department of Bacteriology, Graduate School of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, Nishihara, Okinawa, Japan
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33
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Dorman MJ, Dorman CJ. Regulatory Hierarchies Controlling Virulence Gene Expression in Shigella flexneri and Vibrio cholerae. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:2686. [PMID: 30473684 PMCID: PMC6237886 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.02686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Accepted: 10/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Gram-negative enteropathogenic bacteria use a variety of strategies to cause disease in the human host and gene regulation in some form is typically a part of the strategy. This article will compare the toxin-based infection strategy used by the non-invasive pathogen Vibrio cholerae, the etiological agent in human cholera, with the invasive approach used by Shigella flexneri, the cause of bacillary dysentery. Despite the differences in the mechanisms by which the two pathogens cause disease, they use environmentally-responsive regulatory hierarchies to control the expression of genes that have some features, and even some components, in common. The involvement of AraC-like transcription factors, the integration host factor, the Factor for inversion stimulation, small regulatory RNAs, the RNA chaperone Hfq, horizontal gene transfer, variable DNA topology and the need to overcome the pervasive silencing of transcription by H-NS of horizontally acquired genes are all shared features. A comparison of the regulatory hierarchies in these two pathogens illustrates some striking cross-species similarities and differences among mechanisms coordinating virulence gene expression. S. flexneri, with its low infectious dose, appears to use a strategy that is centered on the individual bacterial cell, whereas V. cholerae, with a community-based, quorum-dependent approach and an infectious dose that is several orders of magnitude higher, seems to rely more on the actions of a bacterial collective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Dorman
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, United Kingdom
| | - Charles J Dorman
- Department of Microbiology, Moyne Institute of Preventive Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
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34
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Wei W, Xiong L, Ye YN, Du MZ, Gao YZ, Zhang KY, Jin YT, Yang Z, Wong PC, Lau SKP, Kan B, Zhu J, Woo PCY, Guo FB. Mutation Landscape of Base Substitutions, Duplications, and Deletions in the Representative Current Cholera Pandemic Strain. Genome Biol Evol 2018; 10:2072-2085. [PMID: 30060177 PMCID: PMC6105331 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evy151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Pandemic cholera is a major concern for public health because of its high mortality and morbidity. Mutation accumulation (MA) experiments were performed on a representative strain of the current cholera pandemic. Although the base-pair substitution mutation rates in Vibrio cholerae (1.24 × 10-10 per site per generation for wild-type lines and 3.29 × 10-8 for mismatch repair deficient lines) are lower than that previously reported in other bacteria using MA analysis, we discovered specific high rates (8.31 × 10-8 site/generation for wild-type lines and 1.82 × 10-6 for mismatch repair deficient lines) of base duplication or deletion driven by large-scale copy number variations (CNVs). These duplication-deletions are located in two pathogenic islands, IMEX and the large integron island. Each element of these islands has discrepant rate in rapid integration and excision, which provides clues to the pandemicity evolution of V. cholerae. These results also suggest that large-scale structural variants such as CNVs can accumulate rapidly during short-term evolution. Mismatch repair deficient lines exhibit a significantly increased mutation rate in the larger chromosome (Chr1) at specific regions, and this pattern is not observed in wild-type lines. We propose that the high frequency of GATC sites in Chr1 improves the efficiency of MMR, resulting in similar rates of mutation in the wild-type condition. In addition, different mutation rates and spectra were observed in the MA lines under distinct growth conditions, including minimal media, rich media and antibiotic treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Wei
- School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, China
| | - Lifeng Xiong
- Department of Microbiology, Research Centre of Infection and Immunology, State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, and Carol Yu Centre for Infection, The University of Hong Kong, China
| | - Yuan-Nong Ye
- School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- Bioinformatics and Biomedical Bigdata Mining Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Biology and Medical Engineering, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Meng-Ze Du
- School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Yi-Zhou Gao
- School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Kai-Yue Zhang
- School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Yan-Ting Jin
- School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Zujun Yang
- School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Po-Chun Wong
- Department of Microbiology, Research Centre of Infection and Immunology, State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, and Carol Yu Centre for Infection, The University of Hong Kong, China
| | - Susanna K P Lau
- Department of Microbiology, Research Centre of Infection and Immunology, State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, and Carol Yu Centre for Infection, The University of Hong Kong, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The University of Hong Kong, China
| | - Biao Kan
- National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Beijing, China
| | - Jun Zhu
- Department of Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
| | - Patrick C Y Woo
- Department of Microbiology, Research Centre of Infection and Immunology, State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, and Carol Yu Centre for Infection, The University of Hong Kong, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The University of Hong Kong, China
| | - Feng-Biao Guo
- School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- Center for Informational Biology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of the Ministry of Education, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
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35
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Abstract
Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the causative agent of the sexually transmitted disease gonorrhoeae, possesses several mobile genetic elements (MGEs). The MGEs such as transposable elements mediate intrachromosomal rearrangements, while plasmids and the gonococcal genetic island are involved in interchromosomal gene transfer. Additionally, gonococcal MGEs serve as hotspots for recombination and integration of other genetic elements such as bacteriophages, contribute to gene regulation or spread genes through gonococcal populations by horizontal gene transfer. In this review, we summarise the literature on the structure and biology of MGEs and discuss how these genetic elements may play a role in the pathogenesis and spread of antimicrobial resistance in N. gonorrhoeae. Although an abundance of information about gonococcal MGEs exists (mainly from whole genome sequencing and bioinformatic analysis), there are still many open questions on how MGEs influence the biology of N. gonorrhoeae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Cehovin
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3RE, UK
| | - Steven B Lewis
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3RE, UK
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36
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Castillo F, Benmohamed A, Szatmari G. Xer Site Specific Recombination: Double and Single Recombinase Systems. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:453. [PMID: 28373867 PMCID: PMC5357621 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.00453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2016] [Accepted: 03/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The separation and segregation of newly replicated bacterial chromosomes can be constrained by the formation of circular chromosome dimers caused by crossing over during homologous recombination events. In Escherichia coli and most bacteria, dimers are resolved to monomers by site-specific recombination, a process performed by two Chromosomally Encoded tyrosine Recombinases (XerC and XerD). XerCD recombinases act at a 28 bp recombination site dif, which is located at the replication terminus region of the chromosome. The septal protein FtsK controls the initiation of the dimer resolution reaction, so that recombination occurs at the right time (immediately prior to cell division) and at the right place (cell division septum). XerCD and FtsK have been detected in nearly all sequenced eubacterial genomes including Proteobacteria, Archaea, and Firmicutes. However, in Streptococci and Lactococci, an alternative system has been found, composed of a single recombinase (XerS) genetically linked to an atypical 31 bp recombination site (difSL). A similar recombination system has also been found in 𝜀-proteobacteria such as Campylobacter and Helicobacter, where a single recombinase (XerH) acts at a resolution site called difH. Most Archaea contain a recombinase called XerA that acts on a highly conserved 28 bp sequence dif, which appears to act independently of FtsK. Additionally, several mobile elements have been found to exploit the dif/Xer system to integrate their genomes into the host chromosome in Vibrio cholerae, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and Enterobacter cloacae. This review highlights the versatility of dif/Xer recombinase systems in prokaryotes and summarizes our current understanding of homologs of dif/Xer machineries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabio Castillo
- Département de Microbiologie, Infectiologie et Immunologie, Université de Montréal, MontréalQC, Canada
| | | | - George Szatmari
- Département de Microbiologie, Infectiologie et Immunologie, Université de Montréal, MontréalQC, Canada
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37
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Rahbarnia L, Farajnia S, Babaei H, Majidi J, Veisi K, Ahmadzadeh V, Akbari B. Evolution of phage display technology: from discovery to application. J Drug Target 2016; 25:216-224. [DOI: 10.1080/1061186x.2016.1258570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Leila Rahbarnia
- Drug Applied Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
- Student Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Safar Farajnia
- Drug Applied Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Hossein Babaei
- Drug Applied Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Jafar Majidi
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Kamal Veisi
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Vahideh Ahmadzadeh
- Drug Applied Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Bahman Akbari
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Medical Sciences, University Of Medical Sciences Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
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38
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Yeh TY. Complete nucleotide sequence of a new filamentous phage, Xf109, which integrates its genome into the chromosomal DNA of Xanthomonas oryzae. Arch Virol 2016; 162:567-572. [PMID: 27743252 DOI: 10.1007/s00705-016-3105-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2016] [Accepted: 10/02/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Unlike Ff-like coliphages, certain filamentous Inoviridae phages integrate their genomes into the host chromosome and enter a prophage state in their infectious cycle. This lysogenic life cycle was first reported for Xanthomonas citri Cf phage. However, except for the X. citri phages Cf and XacF1, complete genome sequence information about lysogenic Xanthomonas phages is not available to date. A proviral sequence of Xf109 phage was identified in the genome of Xanthomonas oryzae, the rice bacterial blight pathogen, and revived as infectious virions to lysogenize its host de novo. The genome of Xf109 phage is 7190 nucleotides in size and contains 12 predicted open reading frames in an organization similar to that of the Cf phage genome. Seven of the Xf109 proteins show significant sequence similarity to Cf and XacF1 phage proteins, while its ORF4 shares 92 % identity with the major coat protein of X. phage oryzae Xf. Integration of Xf109 phage DNA into the host genome is site-specific, and the attP/attB sequence contains the dif core sequence 5'-TATACATTATGCGAA-3', which is identical to that of Cf, XacF1, and Xanthomonas campestris phage ϕLf. To my knowledge, this is the first complete genome sequence of a filamentous bacteriophage that infects X. oryzae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Y Yeh
- Agricultural Biotechnology Laboratory, Plant Health Division, Auxergen Inc., 1100 Wicomico Street, Suite 700, Baltimore, MD, 21230, USA. .,Atom Health Corporation, Hsinchu Biomedical Science Park, 2F, No. 6-1, Section 2, Shengyi Road, Zhubei, Hsinchu, 30261, Taiwan.
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39
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Zeng Z, Liu X, Yao J, Guo Y, Li B, Li Y, Jiao N, Wang X. Cold adaptation regulated by cryptic prophage excision in Shewanella oneidensis. ISME JOURNAL 2016; 10:2787-2800. [PMID: 27482926 PMCID: PMC5148205 DOI: 10.1038/ismej.2016.85] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2016] [Revised: 04/30/2016] [Accepted: 05/10/2016] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Among the environmental stresses experienced by bacteria, temperature shifts are one of the most important. In this study, we discovered a novel cold adaptation mechanism in Shewanella oneidensis that occurs at the DNA level and is regulated by cryptic prophage excision. Previous studies on bacterial cold tolerance mainly focus on the structural change of cell membrane and changes at the RNA and protein levels. Whether or not genomic change can also contribute to this process has not been explored. Here we employed a whole-genome deep-sequencing method to probe the changes at DNA level in a model psychrotrophic bacteria strain. We found that temperature downshift induced a 10 000-fold increase of the excision of a novel P4-like cryptic prophage. Importantly, although prophage excision only occurred in a relatively small population of bacteria, it was able to facilitate biofilm formation and promote the survival of the entire population. This prophage excision affected cell physiology by disrupting a critical gene encoding transfer-messenger RNA (tmRNA). In addition, we found that the histone-like nucleoid-structuring protein (H-NS) could silence prophage excision via binding to the promoter of the putative excisionase gene at warm temperatures. H-NS level was reduced at cold temperatures, leading to de-repression of prophage excision. Collectively, our results reveal that cryptic prophage excision acts as a regulatory switch to enable the survival of the host at low temperature by controlling the activity of tmRNA and biofilm formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenshun Zeng
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Marine Materia Medica, RNAM Center for Marine Microbiology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoxiao Liu
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Marine Materia Medica, RNAM Center for Marine Microbiology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jianyun Yao
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Marine Materia Medica, RNAM Center for Marine Microbiology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yunxue Guo
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Marine Materia Medica, RNAM Center for Marine Microbiology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Baiyuan Li
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Marine Materia Medica, RNAM Center for Marine Microbiology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yangmei Li
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Marine Materia Medica, RNAM Center for Marine Microbiology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Nianzhi Jiao
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China.,Institute of Marine Microbes and Ecospheres, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Xiaoxue Wang
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Marine Materia Medica, RNAM Center for Marine Microbiology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
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40
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Nagayoshi Y, Kumagae K, Mori K, Tashiro K, Nakamura A, Fujino Y, Hiromasa Y, Iwamoto T, Kuhara S, Ohshima T, Doi K. Physiological Properties and Genome Structure of the Hyperthermophilic Filamentous Phage φOH3 Which Infects Thermus thermophilus HB8. Front Microbiol 2016; 7:50. [PMID: 26941711 PMCID: PMC4763002 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.00050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2015] [Accepted: 01/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
A filamentous bacteriophage, φOH3, was isolated from hot spring sediment in Obama hot spring in Japan with the hyperthermophilic bacterium Thermus thermophilus HB8 as its host. Phage φOH3, which was classified into the Inoviridae family, consists of a flexible filamentous particle 830 nm long and 8 nm wide. φOH3 was stable at temperatures ranging from 70 to 90°C and at pHs ranging from 6 to 9. A one-step growth curve of the phage showed a 60-min latent period beginning immediately postinfection, followed by intracellular virus particle production during the subsequent 40 min. The released virion number of φOH3 was 109. During the latent period, both single stranded DNA (ssDNA) and the replicative form (RF) of phage DNA were multiplied from min 40 onward. During the release period, the copy numbers of both ssDNA and RF DNA increased sharply. The size of the φOH3 genome is 5688 bp, and eight putative open reading frames (ORFs) were annotated. These ORFs were encoded on the plus strand of RF DNA and showed no significant homology with any known phage genes, except ORF 5, which showed 60% identity with the gene VIII product of the Thermus filamentous phage PH75. All the ORFs were similar to predicted genes annotated in the Thermus aquaticus Y51MC23 and Meiothermus timidus DSM 17022 genomes at the amino acid sequence level. This is the first report of the whole genome structure and DNA multiplication of a filamentous T. thermophilus phage within its host cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuko Nagayoshi
- Faculty of Agriculture, Institute of Genetic Resources, Kyushu University Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Kenta Kumagae
- Faculty of Agriculture, Institute of Genetic Resources, Kyushu University Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Kazuki Mori
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Kosuke Tashiro
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Ayano Nakamura
- Faculty of Agriculture, Institute of Genetic Resources, Kyushu University Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Fujino
- Faculty of Arts and Science, Kyushu University Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Yasuaki Hiromasa
- Faculty of Agriculture, Attached Promotive Center for International Education and Research of Agriculture, Kyushu University Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Takeo Iwamoto
- Core Research Facilities, Research Center for Medical Sciences, Jikei University School of Medicine Tokyo, Japan
| | - Satoru Kuhara
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Toshihisa Ohshima
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Osaka Institute of Technology Osaka, Japan
| | - Katsumi Doi
- Faculty of Agriculture, Institute of Genetic Resources, Kyushu University Fukuoka, Japan
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41
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Martínez E, Campos-Gómez J, Barre FX. CTXϕ: Exploring new alternatives in host factor-mediated filamentous phage replications. BACTERIOPHAGE 2016; 6:e1128512. [PMID: 27607139 DOI: 10.1080/21597081.2015.1128512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2015] [Accepted: 11/24/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
For a long time Ff phages from Escherichia coli provided the majority of the knowledge about the rolling circle replication mechanism of filamentous phages. Host factors involved in coliphages replication have been fully identified. Based on these studies, the function of Rep protein as the accessory helicase directly implicated in filamentous phage replication was considered a paradigm. We recently reported that the replication of some filamentous phages from Vibrio cholerae, including the cholera toxin phage CTXϕ, depended on the accessory helicase UvrD instead of Rep. We also identified HU protein as one of the host factors involved in CTXϕ and VGJϕ replication. The requirement of UvrD and HU for rolling circle replication was previously reported in some family of plasmids but had no precedent in filamentous phages. Here, we enrich the discussion of our results and present new preliminary data highlighting remarkable divergence in the lifestyle of filamentous phages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eriel Martínez
- Southern Research Institute, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Drug Discovery Division, Birmingham, AL, USA; Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Univ. Paris Sud, Gif sur Yvette, France
| | - Javier Campos-Gómez
- Southern Research Institute, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Drug Discovery Division , Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - François-Xavier Barre
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Univ. Paris Sud , Gif sur Yvette, France
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42
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Xer Site-Specific Recombination: Promoting Vertical and Horizontal Transmission of Genetic Information. Microbiol Spectr 2016; 2. [PMID: 26104463 DOI: 10.1128/microbiolspec.mdna3-0056-2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Two related tyrosine recombinases, XerC and XerD, are encoded in the genome of most bacteria where they serve to resolve dimers of circular chromosomes by the addition of a crossover at a specific site, dif. From a structural and biochemical point of view they belong to the Cre resolvase family of tyrosine recombinases. Correspondingly, they are exploited for the resolution of multimers of numerous plasmids. In addition, they are exploited by mobile DNA elements to integrate into the genome of their host. Exploitation of Xer is likely to be advantageous to mobile elements because the conservation of the Xer recombinases and of the sequence of their chromosomal target should permit a quite easy extension of their host range. However, it requires means to overcome the cellular mechanisms that normally restrict recombination to dif sites harbored by a chromosome dimer and, in the case of integrative mobile elements, to convert dedicated tyrosine resolvases into integrases.
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43
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The Hybrid Pre-CTXΦ-RS1 Prophage Genome and Its Regulatory Function in Environmental Vibrio cholerae O1 Strains. Appl Environ Microbiol 2015; 81:7171-7. [PMID: 26253680 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01742-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2015] [Accepted: 07/29/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The cholera toxin genes of Vibrio cholerae are encoded by CTXΦ, a lysogenic bacteriophage. Infection with this phage plays a determinant role in toxigenicity conversion and the emergence of new clones of pathogenic V. cholerae. Multiple phage alleles, defined by sequence types of the repressor gene rstR, have been found, showing the divergence of phage genomes. Pre-CTXΦ, which is characterized by the absence of toxin genes, is predicted to be the precursor of CTXΦ. We have found a new pre-CTXΦ prophage genome (named pre-CTXZJΦ for its novel rstR allele) in nontoxigenic V. cholerae O1 isolates that were obtained during surveillance of the estuary water of the Zhujiang River. A novel hybrid genome of the helper phage RS1 was identified in an environmental strain carrying pre-CTXZJΦ in this study. The chromosomal integration and genomic arrangement of pre-CTXZJΦ and RS1 were determined. The RS2 of pre-CTXZJΦ was shown to have a function in replication, but it seemed to have lost its ability to integrate. The RstR of pre-CTXZJΦ exerted the highest repression of its own rstA promoter compared to other RstRs, suggesting rstR-specific phage superinfection immunity and potential coinfection with other pre-CTXΦ/CTXΦ alleles. The environmental strain carrying pre-CTXZJΦ could still be infected by CTXETΦ, the most common phage allele in the strains of the seventh cholera pandemic, suggesting that this nontoxigenic clone could potentially undergo toxigenicity conversion by CTXΦ infection and become a new toxigenic clone despite already containing the pre-CTXΦ prophage.
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Askora A, Yamada T. Two different evolutionary lines of filamentous phages in Ralstonia solanacearum: their effects on bacterial virulence. Front Genet 2015; 6:217. [PMID: 26150828 PMCID: PMC4471427 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2015.00217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2015] [Accepted: 06/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The integration and excision of various filamentous phage genomes into and out of their host chromosomes occurs by site-specific recombination. The mechanisms proposed for these events include reactions mediated by phage-encoded recombinases and host recombination systems. Site-specific integration of filamentous phages plays a vital role in a variety of biological functions of the host, such as phase variation of certain pathogenic bacterial virulence factors. The importance of these filamentous phages in bacterial evolution is rapidly increasing with the discovery of new phages that are involved in pathogenicity. Studies of the diversity of two different filamentous phages infecting the phytopathogen Ralstonia solanacearum provide us with novel insights into the dynamics of phage genomes, biological roles of prophages, and the regulation and importance of phage-host interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Askora
- Department of Microbiology and Botany, Faculty of Science, Zagazig University, Zagazig Egypt
| | - Takashi Yamada
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology, Graduate School of Advanced Sciences of Matter, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima Japan
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Martínez E, Paly E, Barre FX. CTXφ Replication Depends on the Histone-Like HU Protein and the UvrD Helicase. PLoS Genet 2015; 11:e1005256. [PMID: 25992634 PMCID: PMC4439123 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1005256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2015] [Accepted: 04/29/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The Vibrio cholerae bacterium is the agent of cholera. The capacity to produce the cholera toxin, which is responsible for the deadly diarrhea associated with cholera epidemics, is encoded in the genome of a filamentous phage, CTXφ. Rolling-circle replication (RCR) is central to the life cycle of CTXφ because amplification of the phage genome permits its efficient integration into the genome and its packaging into new viral particles. A single phage-encoded HUH endonuclease initiates RCR of the proto-typical filamentous phages of enterobacteriaceae by introducing a nick at a specific position of the double stranded DNA form of the phage genome. The rest of the process is driven by host factors that are either essential or crucial for the replication of the host genome, such as the Rep SF1 helicase. In contrast, we show here that the histone-like HU protein of V. cholerae is necessary for the introduction of a nick by the HUH endonuclease of CTXφ. We further show that CTXφ RCR depends on a SF1 helicase normally implicated in DNA repair, UvrD, rather than Rep. In addition to CTXφ, we show that VGJφ, a representative member of a second family of vibrio integrative filamentous phages, requires UvrD and HU for RCR while TLCφ, a satellite phage, depends on Rep and is independent from HU. One of the major strategies to prevent Cholera epidemics is the development of oral vaccines based on live attenuated Vibrio cholerae strains. The most promising vaccine strains have been obtained by deletion of the cholera toxin genes, which are harboured in the genome of an integrated phage, CTXϕ. However, they can re-acquire the cholera toxin genes when re-infected by CTXϕ or by hybrid phages between CTXϕ and other vibrio phages, which raised safety concerns about their use. Here, we developed a screening strategy to identify non-essential host factors implicated in CTXϕ replication. We show that the histone-like HU protein and the UvrD helicase are both absolutely required for its replication. We further show that they are essential for the replication of VGJϕ, a representative member of a family of phages that can form hybrids with CTXϕ. Accordingly, we demonstrate that the disruption of the two subunits of HU and/or of UvrD prevents infection of the V. cholerae by CTXϕ and VGJϕ. In addition, we show that it limits CTXϕ horizontal transmission. Taken together, these results indicate that HU- and/or UvrD- cells are promising candidates for the development of safer live attenuated cholera vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eriel Martínez
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Université Paris Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Université Paris Sud, Gif sur Yvette, France
| | - Evelyne Paly
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Université Paris Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Université Paris Sud, Gif sur Yvette, France
| | - François-Xavier Barre
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Université Paris Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Université Paris Sud, Gif sur Yvette, France
- * E-mail:
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Deep-sea hydrothermal vent bacteria related to human pathogenic Vibrio species. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:E2813-9. [PMID: 25964331 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1503928112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Vibrio species are both ubiquitous and abundant in marine coastal waters, estuaries, ocean sediment, and aquaculture settings worldwide. We report here the isolation, characterization, and genome sequence of a novel Vibrio species, Vibrio antiquarius, isolated from a mesophilic bacterial community associated with hydrothermal vents located along the East Pacific Rise, near the southwest coast of Mexico. Genomic and phenotypic analysis revealed V. antiquarius is closely related to pathogenic Vibrio species, namely Vibrio alginolyticus, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Vibrio harveyi, and Vibrio vulnificus, but sufficiently divergent to warrant a separate species status. The V. antiquarius genome encodes genes and operons with ecological functions relevant to the environment conditions of the deep sea and also harbors factors known to be involved in human disease caused by freshwater, coastal, and brackish water vibrios. The presence of virulence factors in this deep-sea Vibrio species suggests a far more fundamental role of these factors for their bacterial host. Comparative genomics revealed a variety of genomic events that may have provided an important driving force in V. antiquarius evolution, facilitating response to environmental conditions of the deep sea.
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Ilyina TS. Filamentous bacteriophages and their role in the virulence and evolution of pathogenic bacteria. MOLECULAR GENETICS MICROBIOLOGY AND VIROLOGY 2015. [DOI: 10.3103/s0891416815010036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Characterization and complete genome sequence analysis of Staphylococcus aureus bacteriophage JS01. Virus Genes 2015; 50:345-8. [PMID: 25687122 DOI: 10.1007/s11262-015-1168-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2014] [Accepted: 01/08/2015] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus is a primary pathogen that causes bovine mastitis resulting in serious economic losses and herd management problems in dairy cows. A novel bacteriophage, JS01, specifically infecting bovine S. aureus, was isolated from milk of mastitis-affected cattle. TEM observation showed that it belonged to the family Siphovirus. The JS01 strain demonstrated a broad host range. The prediction result of PHACTS suggested that the JS01 strain was temperate phage. The JS01 genome is 43,458 bp long, with a GC content of 33.32% and no tRNAs. Annotation and functional analysis of the predicted ORFs revealed six functional groups: structure and morphology, DNA replication and regulation, packaging, lysogeny, lysis, and pathogenicity. Comparative analysis between JS01, S. aureus MSSA476, and S. aureus prophage PVL was also performed. The characterization and genomic analysis of JS01 provide a better understanding of S. aureus-targeting bacteriophages and useful information for the development of phage-based biocontrol agents against S. aureus.
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Mai-Prochnow A, Hui JGK, Kjelleberg S, Rakonjac J, McDougald D, Rice SA. 'Big things in small packages: the genetics of filamentous phage and effects on fitness of their host'. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2015; 39:465-87. [PMID: 25670735 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuu007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2014] [Accepted: 12/17/2014] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
This review synthesizes recent and past observations on filamentous phages and describes how these phages contribute to host phentoypes. For example, the CTXφ phage of Vibrio cholerae encodes the cholera toxin genes, responsible for causing the epidemic disease, cholera. The CTXφ phage can transduce non-toxigenic strains, converting them into toxigenic strains, contributing to the emergence of new pathogenic strains. Other effects of filamentous phage include horizontal gene transfer, biofilm development, motility, metal resistance and the formation of host morphotypic variants, important for the biofilm stress resistance. These phages infect a wide range of Gram-negative bacteria, including deep-sea, pressure-adapted bacteria. Many filamentous phages integrate into the host genome as prophage. In some cases, filamentous phages encode their own integrase genes to facilitate this process, while others rely on host-encoded genes. These differences are mediated by different sets of 'core' and 'accessory' genes, with the latter group accounting for some of the mechanisms that alter the host behaviours in unique ways. It is increasingly clear that despite their relatively small genomes, these phages exert signficant influence on their hosts and ultimately alter the fitness and other behaviours of their hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Mai-Prochnow
- The Centre for Marine Bio-Innovation and the School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, the University of New South Wales, Sydney NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Janice Gee Kay Hui
- The Centre for Marine Bio-Innovation and the School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, the University of New South Wales, Sydney NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Staffan Kjelleberg
- The Centre for Marine Bio-Innovation and the School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, the University of New South Wales, Sydney NSW 2052, Australia The Singapore Centre on Environmental Life Sciences Engineering and the School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 637551, Singapore
| | - Jasna Rakonjac
- Institute of Fundamental Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand
| | - Diane McDougald
- The Centre for Marine Bio-Innovation and the School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, the University of New South Wales, Sydney NSW 2052, Australia The Singapore Centre on Environmental Life Sciences Engineering and the School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 637551, Singapore
| | - Scott A Rice
- The Centre for Marine Bio-Innovation and the School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, the University of New South Wales, Sydney NSW 2052, Australia The Singapore Centre on Environmental Life Sciences Engineering and the School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 637551, Singapore
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Fan F, Kan B. Survival and proliferation of the lysogenic bacteriophage CTXΦ in Vibrio cholerae. Virol Sin 2015; 30:19-25. [PMID: 25613689 DOI: 10.1007/s12250-014-3550-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2014] [Accepted: 01/12/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The lysogenic phage CTXΦ of Vibrio cholerae can transfer the cholera toxin gene both horizontally (inter-strain) and vertically (cell proliferation). Due to its diversity in form and species, the complexity of regulatory mechanisms, and the important role of the infection mechanism in the production of new virulent strains of V. cholerae, the study of the lysogenic phage CTXΦ has attracted much attention. Based on the progress of current research, the genomic features and their arrangement, the host-dependent regulatory mechanisms of CTXΦ phage survival, proliferation and propagation were reviewed to further understand the phage's role in the evolutionary and epidemiological mechanisms of V. cholerae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fenxia Fan
- State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, 102206, China,
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