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Nielander M, Maybank M, Massimino C, Fitzgerald J, Blossum H, Douthitt C, Holland C, Hunter WB, Carrol M, D'Elia T. Complete genome sequences of StopSmel and Aussie, two Mu-like bacteriophages of Sinorhizobium meliloti. Microbiol Resour Announc 2024; 13:e0123023. [PMID: 38385668 DOI: 10.1128/mra.01230-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024] Open
Abstract
We report the complete genome sequences of two bacteriophages, Aussie and StopSmel, isolated from soil using the host Sinorhizobium meliloti NRRL L-50. The genomes are similar in length and gene content and share 76% nucleotide identity. Comparative analysis of Aussie and StopSmel identified core functional modules associated with Mu-like bacteriophages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Macy Nielander
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Science, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, Florida, USA
| | - Mya Maybank
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian River State College, Fort Pierce, Florida, USA
| | - Crissy Massimino
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - John Fitzgerald
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian River State College, Fort Pierce, Florida, USA
| | - Hannah Blossum
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian River State College, Fort Pierce, Florida, USA
| | - Cayce Douthitt
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian River State College, Fort Pierce, Florida, USA
| | - Chris Holland
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian River State College, Fort Pierce, Florida, USA
| | - Wayne B Hunter
- USDA-ARS, US Horticultural Research Laboratory, Fort Pierce, Florida, USA
| | - Megan Carrol
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian River State College, Fort Pierce, Florida, USA
| | - Tom D'Elia
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian River State College, Fort Pierce, Florida, USA
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Hyde JR, Armond T, Herring JA, Hope S, Grose JH, Breakwell DP, Pickett BE. Diversity and conservation of the genome architecture of phages infecting the Alphaproteobacteria. Microbiol Spectr 2024; 12:e0282723. [PMID: 37991376 PMCID: PMC10783043 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02827-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE This study reports the results of the largest analysis of genome sequences from phages that infect the Alphaproteobacteria class of bacterial hosts. We analyzed over 100 whole genome sequences of phages to construct dotplots, categorize them into genetically distinct clusters, generate a bootstrapped phylogenetic tree, compute protein orthologs, and predict packaging strategies. We determined that the phage sequences primarily cluster by the bacterial host family, phage morphotype, and genome size. We expect that the findings reported in this seminal study will facilitate future analyses that will improve our knowledge of the phages that infect these hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan R. Hyde
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA
| | - Thomas Armond
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA
| | - Jacob A. Herring
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA
| | - Sandra Hope
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA
| | - Julianne H. Grose
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA
| | - Donald P. Breakwell
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA
| | - Brett E. Pickett
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA
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3
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Zhang M, Hao Y, Yi Y, Liu S, Sun Q, Tan X, Tang S, Xiao X, Jian H. Unexplored diversity and ecological functions of transposable phages. THE ISME JOURNAL 2023:10.1038/s41396-023-01414-z. [PMID: 37069234 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-023-01414-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Revised: 04/02/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 04/19/2023]
Abstract
Phages are prevalent in diverse environments and play major ecological roles attributed to their tremendous diversity and abundance. Among these viruses, transposable phages (TBPs) are exceptional in terms of their unique lifestyle, especially their replicative transposition. Although several TBPs have been isolated and the life cycle of the representative phage Mu has been extensively studied, the diversity distribution and ecological functions of TBPs on the global scale remain unknown. Here, by mining TBPs from enormous microbial genomes and viromes, we established a TBP genome dataset (TBPGD), that expands the number of accessible TBP genomes 384-fold. TBPs are prevalent in diverse biomes and show great genetic diversity. Based on taxonomic evaluations, we propose the categorization of TBPs into four viral groups, including 11 candidate subfamilies. TBPs infect multiple bacterial phyla, and seem to infect a wider range of hosts than non-TBPs. Diverse auxiliary metabolic genes (AMGs) are identified in the TBP genomes, and genes related to glycoside hydrolases and pyrimidine deoxyribonucleotide biosynthesis are highly enriched. Finally, the influences of TBPs on their hosts are experimentally examined by using the marine bacterium Shewanella psychrophila WP2 and its infecting transposable phage SP2. Collectively, our findings greatly expand the genetic diversity of TBPs, and comprehensively reveal their potential influences in various ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mujie Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Development Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yali Hao
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Development Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yi Yi
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Development Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shunzhang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Development Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qingyang Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Development Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoli Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Development Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shan Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Development Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiang Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Development Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai, China
- Yazhou Bay Institute of Deepsea Sci-Tech, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Sanya, China
| | - Huahua Jian
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Development Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
- Yazhou Bay Institute of Deepsea Sci-Tech, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Sanya, China.
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Ramírez-Sánchez I, Magos-Castro M, Guarneros G. Transcriptional analysis in bacteriophage Fc02 of Pseudomonas aeruginosa revealed two overlapping genes with exclusion activity. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1027380. [PMID: 36819063 PMCID: PMC9936078 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1027380] [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: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Little is known about the gene expression program during the transition from lysogenic to lytic cycles of temperate bacteriophages in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. To investigate this issue, we developed a thermo-sensitive repressor mutant in a lysogen and analyzed the phage transcriptional program by strand-specific RNA-Seq before and after thermo-induction. As expected, the repressor gene located on the phage DNA forward strand is transcribed in the lysogen at the permissive temperature of 30°C. Upstream the repressor gene, we noticed the presence of two overlapped ORFs apparently in the same transcript. One ORF is a gene that encodes a protein of 7.9 kDa mediating the exclusion of various super-infecting phages. The other ORF, placed in an alternate reading frame with a possible AUG initiation codon at 25 nucleotide downstream of the AUG of the first gene, is expected to encode a 20.7 kDa polypeptide of yet an unknown function. Upon lifting repression at 40°C, the transcription of an operon which is involved in the lytic cycle is started from a promoter on the reverse phage DNA strand. The first gene in the operon is a homolog of the antirepresor ner, a common gene in the lysis-lysogeny regulation region of other phages. Interestingly, the next gene after ner is gene 10 that on the reverse strand overlaps the overlapped gene olg1 on the forward strand. Curiously, gene 10 expression also shows superinfection exclusion. Strand-specific RNA-Seq also has uncovered the transcription succession of gene modules expressed during the phage lytic stage. The conservation of overlapped genes with similar functions may be evolutionarily selected.
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Gao C, Liang Y, Jiang Y, Paez-Espino D, Han M, Gu C, Wang M, Yang Y, Liu F, Yang Q, Gong Z, Zhang X, Luo Z, He H, Guo C, Shao H, Zhou C, Shi Y, Xin Y, Xing J, Tang X, Qin Q, Zhang YZ, He J, Jiao N, McMinn A, Tian J, Suttle CA, Wang M. Virioplankton assemblages from challenger deep, the deepest place in the oceans. iScience 2022; 25:104680. [PMID: 35942087 PMCID: PMC9356048 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Hadal ocean biosphere, that is, the deepest part of the world’s oceans, harbors a unique microbial community, suggesting a potential uncovered co-occurring virioplankton assemblage. Herein, we reveal the unique virioplankton assemblages of the Challenger Deep, comprising 95,813 non-redundant viral contigs from the surface to the hadal zone. Almost all of the dominant viral contigs in the hadal zone were unclassified, potentially related to Alteromonadales and Oceanospirillales. 2,586 viral auxiliary metabolic genes from 132 different KEGG orthologous groups were mainly related to the carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, and arsenic metabolism. Lysogenic viral production and integrase genes were augmented in the hadal zone, suggesting the prevalence of viral lysogenic life strategy. Abundant rve genes in the hadal zone, which function as transposase in the caudoviruses, further suggest the prevalence of viral-mediated horizontal gene transfer. This study provides fundamental insights into the virioplankton assemblages of the hadal zone, reinforcing the necessity of incorporating virioplankton into the hadal biogeochemical cycles. The unique virioplankton assemblages of the Challenger Deep were revealed Virus encoded auxiliary metabolic genes relating to the biogeochemical cycling Viruses in deep and hadal zone tend to be lysogenic, and potentially mediate the horizontal gene transfer
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Genomic diversity of bacteriophages infecting Rhodobacter capsulatus and their relatedness to its gene transfer agent RcGTA. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0255262. [PMID: 34793465 PMCID: PMC8601537 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0255262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The diversity of bacteriophages is likely unparalleled in the biome due to the immense variety of hosts and the multitude of viruses that infect them. Recent efforts have led to description at the genomic level of numerous bacteriophages that infect the Actinobacteria, but relatively little is known about those infecting other prokaryotic phyla, such as the purple non-sulfur photosynthetic α-proteobacterium Rhodobacter capsulatus. This species is a common inhabitant of freshwater ecosystems and has been an important model system for the study of photosynthesis. Additionally, it is notable for its utilization of a unique form of horizontal gene transfer via a bacteriophage-like element known as the gene transfer agent (RcGTA). Only three bacteriophages of R. capsulatus had been sequenced prior to this report. Isolation and characterization at the genomic level of 26 new bacteriophages infecting this host advances the understanding of bacteriophage diversity and the origins of RcGTA. These newly discovered isolates can be grouped along with three that were previously sequenced to form six clusters with four remaining as single representatives. These bacteriophages share genes with RcGTA that seem to be related to host recognition. One isolate was found to cause lysis of a marine bacterium when exposed to high-titer lysate. Although some clusters are more highly represented in the sequenced genomes, it is evident that many more bacteriophage types that infect R. capsulatus are likely to be found in the future.
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Unveiling Ecological and Genetic Novelty within Lytic and Lysogenic Viral Communities of Hot Spring Phototrophic Microbial Mats. Microbiol Spectr 2021; 9:e0069421. [PMID: 34787442 PMCID: PMC8597652 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00694-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Viruses exert diverse ecosystem impacts by controlling their host community through lytic predator-prey dynamics. However, the mechanisms by which lysogenic viruses influence their host-microbial community are less clear. In hot springs, lysogeny is considered an active lifestyle, yet it has not been systematically studied in all habitats, with phototrophic microbial mats (PMMs) being particularly not studied. We carried out viral metagenomics following in situ mitomycin C induction experiments in PMMs from Porcelana hot spring (Northern Patagonia, Chile). The compositional changes of viral communities at two different sites were analyzed at the genomic and gene levels. Furthermore, the presence of integrated prophage sequences in environmental metagenome-assembled genomes from published Porcelana PMM metagenomes was analyzed. Our results suggest that virus-specific replicative cycles (lytic and lysogenic) were associated with specific host taxa with different metabolic capacities. One of the most abundant lytic viral groups corresponded to cyanophages, which would infect the cyanobacteria Fischerella, the most active and dominant primary producer in thermophilic PMMs. Likewise, lysogenic viruses were related exclusively to chemoheterotrophic bacteria from the phyla Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Actinobacteria. These temperate viruses possess accessory genes to sense or control stress-related processes in their hosts, such as sporulation and biofilm formation. Taken together, these observations suggest a nexus between the ecological role of the host (metabolism) and the type of viral lifestyle in thermophilic PMMs. This has direct implications in viral ecology, where the lysogenic-lytic switch is determined by nutrient abundance and microbial density but also by the metabolism type that prevails in the host community. IMPORTANCE Hot springs harbor microbial communities dominated by a limited variety of microorganisms and, as such, have become a model for studying community ecology and understanding how biotic and abiotic interactions shape their structure. Viruses in hot springs are shown to be ubiquitous, numerous, and active components of these communities. However, lytic and lysogenic viral communities of thermophilic phototrophic microbial mats (PMMs) remain largely unexplored. In this work, we use the power of viral metagenomics to reveal changes in the viral community following a mitomycin C induction experiment in PMMs. The importance of our research is that it will improve our understanding of viral lifestyles in PMMs via exploring the differences in the composition of natural and induced viral communities at the genome and gene levels. This novel information will contribute to deciphering which biotic and abiotic factors may control the transitions between lytic and lysogenic cycles in these extreme environments.
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8
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Genome Study of a Novel Virulent Phage vB_SspS_KASIA and Mu-like Prophages of Shewanella sp. M16 Provides Insights into the Genetic Diversity of the Shewanella Virome. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222011070. [PMID: 34681734 PMCID: PMC8541194 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222011070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Revised: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Shewanella is a ubiquitous bacterial genus of aquatic ecosystems, and its bacteriophages are also isolated from aquatic environments (oceans, lakes, ice, and wastewater). In this study, the isolation and characterization of a novel virulent Shewanella phage vB_SspS_KASIA and the identification of three prophages of its host, Shewanella sp. M16, including a mitomycin-inducible Mu-like siphovirus, vB_SspS_MuM16-1, became the starting point for comparative analyses of phages infecting Shewanella spp. and the determination of their position among the known bacterial viruses. A similarity networking analysis revealed the high diversity of Shewanella phages in general, with vB_SspS_KASIA clustering exclusively with Colwellia phage 9A, with which it forms a single viral cluster composed of two separate viral subclusters. Furthermore, vB_SspS_MuM16-1 presented itself as being significantly different from the phages deposited in public databases, expanding the diversity of the known Mu-like phages and giving potential molecular markers for the identification of Mu-like prophages in bacterial genomes. Moreover, the functional analysis performed for vB_SspS_KASIA suggested that, despite the KASIA host, the M16 strain grows better in a rich medium and at 30 °C the phage replication cycle seems to be optimal in restrictive culture conditions mimicking their natural environment, the Zloty Stok gold and arsenic mine.
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9
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Viral elements and their potential influence on microbial processes along the permanently stratified Cariaco Basin redoxcline. ISME JOURNAL 2020; 14:3079-3092. [PMID: 32801311 PMCID: PMC7785012 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-020-00739-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Revised: 07/18/2020] [Accepted: 08/05/2020] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Little is known about viruses in oxygen-deficient water columns (ODWCs). In surface ocean waters, viruses are known to act as gene vectors among susceptible hosts. Some of these genes may have metabolic functions and are thus termed auxiliary metabolic genes (AMGs). AMGs introduced to new hosts by viruses can enhance viral replication and/or potentially affect biogeochemical cycles by modulating key microbial pathways. Here we identify 748 viral populations that cluster into 94 genera along a vertical geochemical gradient in the Cariaco Basin, a permanently stratified and euxinic ocean basin. The viral communities in this ODWC appear to be relatively novel as 80 of these viral genera contained no reference viral sequences, likely due to the isolation and unique features of this system. We identify viral elements that encode AMGs implicated in distinctive processes, such as sulfur cycling, acetate fermentation, signal transduction, [Fe–S] formation, and N-glycosylation. These AMG-encoding viruses include two putative Mu-like viruses, and viral-like regions that may constitute degraded prophages that have been modified by transposable elements. Our results provide an insight into the ecological and biogeochemical impact of viruses oxygen-depleted and euxinic habitats.
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10
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Lin W, Chen Q, Liu Y, Jiao N, Zheng Q. Characteristics of two myoviruses induced from the coastal photoheterotrophic bacterium Porphyrobacter sp. YT40. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2019; 366:5707402. [PMID: 31977007 DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fnaa009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2019] [Accepted: 01/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
In this study, we characterized two induced myoviruses from one marine photoheterotrophic bacterium Porphyrobacter sp. YT40 belonging to the Sphingomonadales family in Alphaproteobacteria. The genome sequence of prophage A is ∼36.9 kb with an average GC content of 67.1%, and its core or functional genes are homologous to Mu or Mu-like phages. Furthermore, induced viral particles from prophage A show a knob-like neck structure, which is only found in bacteriophage Mu. The genome size of prophage B is ∼36.8 kb with an average GC content of 65.3%. Prophage B contains a conserved gene cluster Q-P-O-N-M-L, which is unique in P2 phages. Induced viral particles from prophage B display an icosahedral head with a diameter of ∼55 nm and a 130 ± 5 nm long contractile tail. To our knowledge, this is the first report that characterizes the induced P2-like phage in marine Alphaproteobacteria. Phylogeny analyses suggest that these two types of prophages are commonly found in sequenced bacteria of the Sphingomonadales family. This study sheds light on the ongoing interaction between marine bacteria and phages, and improves our understanding of bacterial genomic plasticity and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenxin Lin
- State Key Laboratory for Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, People's Republic of China.,Institute of Marine Microbes and Ecospheres, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, People's Republic of China
| | - Qi Chen
- State Key Laboratory for Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, People's Republic of China.,Institute of Marine Microbes and Ecospheres, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, People's Republic of China
| | - Yanting Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, People's Republic of China.,Institute of Marine Microbes and Ecospheres, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, People's Republic of China
| | - Nianzhi Jiao
- State Key Laboratory for Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, People's Republic of China.,Institute of Marine Microbes and Ecospheres, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, People's Republic of China
| | - Qiang Zheng
- State Key Laboratory for Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, People's Republic of China.,Institute of Marine Microbes and Ecospheres, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, People's Republic of China
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11
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Genomic repertoire of Mameliella alba Ep20 associated with Symbiodinium from the endemic coral Mussismilia braziliensis. Symbiosis 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s13199-019-00655-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
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12
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Vergnaud G, Midoux C, Blouin Y, Bourkaltseva M, Krylov V, Pourcel C. Transposition Behavior Revealed by High-Resolution Description of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Saltovirus Integration Sites. Viruses 2018; 10:v10050245. [PMID: 29735891 PMCID: PMC5977238 DOI: 10.3390/v10050245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2018] [Revised: 04/27/2018] [Accepted: 05/04/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Transposable phages, also called saltoviruses, of which the Escherichia coli phage Mu is the reference, are temperate phages that multiply their genome through replicative transposition at multiple sites in their host chromosome. The viral genome is packaged together with host DNA at both ends. In the present work, genome sequencing of three Pseudomonas aeruginosa transposable phages, HW12, 2P1, and Ab30, incidentally gave us access to the location of thousands of replicative integration sites and revealed the existence of a variable number of hotspots. Taking advantage of deep sequencing, we then designed an experiment to study 13,000,000 transposon integration sites of bacteriophage Ab30. The investigation revealed the presence of 42 transposition hotspots adjacent to bacterial interspersed mosaic elements (BIME) accounting for 5% of all transposition sites. The rest of the sites appeared widely distributed with the exception of coldspots associated with low G-C content segments, including the putative O-antigen biosynthesis cluster. Surprisingly, 0.4% of the transposition events occurred in a copy of the phage genome itself, indicating that the previously described immunity against such events is slightly leaky. This observation allowed drawing an image of the phage chromosome supercoiling into four loops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gilles Vergnaud
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), CEA, CNRS, Univ. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette CEDEX, France.
| | - Cédric Midoux
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), CEA, CNRS, Univ. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette CEDEX, France.
| | - Yann Blouin
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), CEA, CNRS, Univ. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette CEDEX, France.
| | - Maria Bourkaltseva
- I. I. Mechnikov Research Institute for Vaccines & Sera, Moscow 105064, Russia.
| | - Victor Krylov
- I. I. Mechnikov Research Institute for Vaccines & Sera, Moscow 105064, Russia.
| | - Christine Pourcel
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), CEA, CNRS, Univ. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette CEDEX, France.
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Harrison E, Brockhurst MA. Ecological and Evolutionary Benefits of Temperate Phage: What Does or Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger. Bioessays 2017; 39. [PMID: 28983932 DOI: 10.1002/bies.201700112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2017] [Revised: 08/30/2017] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Infection by a temperate phage can lead to death of the bacterial cell, but sometimes these phages integrate into the bacterial chromosome, offering the potential for a more long-lasting relationship to be established. Here we define three major ecological and evolutionary benefits of temperate phage for bacteria: as agents of horizontal gene transfer (HGT), as sources of genetic variation for evolutionary innovation, and as weapons of bacterial competition. We suggest that a coevolutionary perspective is required to understand the roles of temperate phages in bacterial populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellie Harrison
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Arthur Willis Environment Centre, Sheffield, UK
| | - Michael A Brockhurst
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Alfred Denny Building, Sheffield, UK
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14
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Tang K, Lin D, Zheng Q, Liu K, Yang Y, Han Y, Jiao N. Genomic, proteomic and bioinformatic analysis of two temperate phages in Roseobacter clade bacteria isolated from the deep-sea water. BMC Genomics 2017; 18:485. [PMID: 28655355 PMCID: PMC5488378 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-017-3886-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2017] [Accepted: 06/20/2017] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Marine phages are spectacularly diverse in nature. Dozens of roseophages infecting members of Roseobacter clade bacteria were isolated and characterized, exhibiting a very high degree of genetic diversity. In the present study, the induction of two temperate bacteriophages, namely, vB_ThpS-P1 and vB_PeaS-P1, was performed in Roseobacter clade bacteria isolated from the deep-sea water, Thiobacimonas profunda JLT2016 and Pelagibaca abyssi JLT2014, respectively. Two novel phages in morphological, genomic and proteomic features were presented, and their phylogeny and evolutionary relationships were explored by bioinformatic analysis. Results Electron microscopy showed that the morphology of the two phages were similar to that of siphoviruses. Genome sequencing indicated that the two phages were similar in size, organization, and content, thereby suggesting that these shared a common ancestor. Despite the presence of Mu-like phage head genes, the phages are more closely related to Rhodobacter phage RC1 than Mu phages in terms of gene content and sequence similarity. Based on comparative genomic and phylogenetic analysis, we propose a Mu-like head phage group to allow for the inclusion of Mu-like phages and two newly phages. The sequences of the Mu-like head phage group were widespread, occurring in each investigated metagenomes. Furthermore, the horizontal exchange of genetic material within the Mu-like head phage group might have involved a gene that was associated with phage phenotypic characteristics. Conclusions This study is the first report on the complete genome sequences of temperate phages that infect deep-sea roseobacters, belonging to the Mu-like head phage group. The Mu-like head phage group might represent a small but ubiquitous fraction of marine viral diversity. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-017-3886-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Tang
- State Key Laboratory for Marine Environmental Science, Institute of Marine Microbes and Ecospheres, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, People's Republic of China.
| | - Dan Lin
- State Key Laboratory for Marine Environmental Science, Institute of Marine Microbes and Ecospheres, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, People's Republic of China
| | - Qiang Zheng
- State Key Laboratory for Marine Environmental Science, Institute of Marine Microbes and Ecospheres, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, People's Republic of China
| | - Keshao Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Marine Environmental Science, Institute of Marine Microbes and Ecospheres, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, People's Republic of China
| | - Yujie Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Marine Environmental Science, Institute of Marine Microbes and Ecospheres, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, People's Republic of China
| | - Yu Han
- State Key Laboratory for Marine Environmental Science, Institute of Marine Microbes and Ecospheres, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, People's Republic of China
| | - Nianzhi Jiao
- State Key Laboratory for Marine Environmental Science, Institute of Marine Microbes and Ecospheres, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, People's Republic of China.
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15
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Toussaint A, Rice PA. Transposable phages, DNA reorganization and transfer. Curr Opin Microbiol 2017; 38:88-94. [PMID: 28551392 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2017.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2017] [Revised: 04/13/2017] [Accepted: 04/19/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Transposable bacteriophages have long been known to necessarily and randomly integrate their DNA in their host genome, where they amplify by successive rounds of replicative transposition, profoundly reorganizing that genome. As a result of such transposition, a conjugative element (plasmid or genomic island), can either become integrated in the chromosome or receive chromosome segments, which can then be transferred to new hosts by conjugation. In recent years, more and more transposable phages have been isolated or detected by sequence similarity searches in a wide range of bacteria, supporting the idea that this mode of HGT may be pervasive in natural bacterial populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariane Toussaint
- Génétique et Physiologie Bactérienne, Université Libre de Bruxelles, IBMM-DBM, 12 Rue des Professeurs Jeneer et Brachet, B 6041 Gosselies, Belgium.
| | - Phoebe A Rice
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, 929 E. 57th St., Chicago, IL 60637, USA
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16
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Genome Integration and Excision by a New Streptomyces Bacteriophage, ϕJoe. Appl Environ Microbiol 2017; 83:AEM.02767-16. [PMID: 28003200 PMCID: PMC5311408 DOI: 10.1128/aem.02767-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2016] [Accepted: 12/18/2016] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophages are the source of many valuable tools for molecular biology and genetic manipulation. In Streptomyces, most DNA cloning vectors are based on serine integrase site-specific DNA recombination systems derived from phage. Because of their efficiency and simplicity, serine integrases are also used for diverse synthetic biology applications. Here, we present the genome of a new Streptomyces phage, ϕJoe, and investigate the conditions for integration and excision of the ϕJoe genome. ϕJoe belongs to the largest Streptomyces phage cluster (R4-like) and encodes a serine integrase. The attB site from Streptomyces venezuelae was used efficiently by an integrating plasmid, pCMF92, constructed using the ϕJoe int-attP locus. The attB site for ϕJoe integrase was occupied in several Streptomyces genomes, including that of S. coelicolor, by a mobile element that varies in gene content and size between host species. Serine integrases require a phage-encoded recombination directionality factor (RDF) to activate the excision reaction. The ϕJoe RDF was identified, and its function was confirmed in vivo. Both the integrase and RDF were active in in vitro recombination assays. The ϕJoe site-specific recombination system is likely to be an important addition to the synthetic biology and genome engineering toolbox. IMPORTANCEStreptomyces spp. are prolific producers of secondary metabolites, including many clinically useful antibiotics. Bacteriophage-derived integrases are important tools for genetic engineering, as they enable integration of heterologous DNA into the Streptomyces chromosome with ease and high efficiency. Recently, researchers have been applying phage integrases for a variety of applications in synthetic biology, including rapid assembly of novel combinations of genes, biosensors, and biocomputing. An important requirement for optimal experimental design and predictability when using integrases, however, is the need for multiple enzymes with different specificities for their integration sites. In order to provide a broad platform of integrases, we identified and validated the integrase from a newly isolated Streptomyces phage, ϕJoe. ϕJoe integrase is active in vitro and in vivo. The specific recognition site for integration is present in a wide range of different actinobacteria, including Streptomyces venezuelae, an emerging model bacterium in Streptomyces research.
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17
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Patel S. Drivers of bacterial genomes plasticity and roles they play in pathogen virulence, persistence and drug resistance. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2016; 45:151-164. [DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2016.08.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2016] [Revised: 08/26/2016] [Accepted: 08/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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18
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Hynes AP, Shakya M, Mercer RG, Grüll MP, Bown L, Davidson F, Steffen E, Matchem H, Peach ME, Berger T, Grebe K, Zhaxybayeva O, Lang AS. Functional and Evolutionary Characterization of a Gene Transfer Agent's Multilocus "Genome". Mol Biol Evol 2016; 33:2530-43. [PMID: 27343288 PMCID: PMC5026251 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msw125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Gene transfer agents (GTAs) are phage-like particles that can package and transfer a random piece of the producing cell’s genome, but are unable to transfer all the genes required for their own production. As such, GTAs represent an evolutionary conundrum: are they selfish genetic elements propagating through an unknown mechanism, defective viruses, or viral structures “repurposed” by cells for gene exchange, as their name implies? In Rhodobacter capsulatus, production of the R. capsulatus GTA (RcGTA) particles is associated with a cluster of genes resembling a small prophage. Utilizing transcriptomic, genetic and biochemical approaches, we report that the RcGTA “genome” consists of at least 24 genes distributed across five distinct loci. We demonstrate that, of these additional loci, two are involved in cell recognition and binding and one in the production and maturation of RcGTA particles. The five RcGTA “genome” loci are widespread within Rhodobacterales, but not all loci have the same evolutionary histories. Specifically, two of the loci have been subject to frequent, probably virus-mediated, gene transfer events. We argue that it is unlikely that RcGTA is a selfish genetic element. Instead, our findings are compatible with the scenario that RcGTA is a virus-derived element maintained by the producing organism due to a selective advantage of within-population gene exchange. The modularity of the RcGTA “genome” is presumably a result of selection on the host organism to retain GTA functionality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander P Hynes
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John's, NL, Canada
| | - Migun Shakya
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College
| | - Ryan G Mercer
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John's, NL, Canada
| | - Marc P Grüll
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John's, NL, Canada
| | - Luke Bown
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John's, NL, Canada
| | - Fraser Davidson
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John's, NL, Canada
| | - Ekaterina Steffen
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John's, NL, Canada
| | - Heidi Matchem
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John's, NL, Canada
| | - Mandy E Peach
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John's, NL, Canada
| | - Tim Berger
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John's, NL, Canada
| | - Katherine Grebe
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John's, NL, Canada
| | - Olga Zhaxybayeva
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College Department of Computer Science, Dartmouth College
| | - Andrew S Lang
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John's, NL, Canada
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19
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Abstract
Transposable phage Mu has played a major role in elucidating the mechanism of movement of mobile DNA elements. The high efficiency of Mu transposition has facilitated a detailed biochemical dissection of the reaction mechanism, as well as of protein and DNA elements that regulate transpososome assembly and function. The deduced phosphotransfer mechanism involves in-line orientation of metal ion-activated hydroxyl groups for nucleophilic attack on reactive diester bonds, a mechanism that appears to be used by all transposable elements examined to date. A crystal structure of the Mu transpososome is available. Mu differs from all other transposable elements in encoding unique adaptations that promote its viral lifestyle. These adaptations include multiple DNA (enhancer, SGS) and protein (MuB, HU, IHF) elements that enable efficient Mu end synapsis, efficient target capture, low target specificity, immunity to transposition near or into itself, and efficient mechanisms for recruiting host repair and replication machineries to resolve transposition intermediates. MuB has multiple functions, including target capture and immunity. The SGS element promotes gyrase-mediated Mu end synapsis, and the enhancer, aided by HU and IHF, participates in directing a unique topological architecture of the Mu synapse. The function of these DNA and protein elements is important during both lysogenic and lytic phases. Enhancer properties have been exploited in the design of mini-Mu vectors for genetic engineering. Mu ends assembled into active transpososomes have been delivered directly into bacterial, yeast, and human genomes, where they integrate efficiently, and may prove useful for gene therapy.
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20
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Westbye AB, Kuchinski K, Yip CK, Beatty JT. The Gene Transfer Agent RcGTA Contains Head Spikes Needed for Binding to the Rhodobacter capsulatus Polysaccharide Cell Capsule. J Mol Biol 2015; 428:477-91. [PMID: 26711507 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2015.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2015] [Revised: 11/25/2015] [Accepted: 12/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Viruses and bacteriophages recognize cell surface proteins using receptor-binding proteins. In most tailed bacteriophages, receptor-binding proteins are located on the bacteriophage tail. The gene transfer agent of Rhodobacter capsulatus, RcGTA, morphologically resembles a tailed bacteriophage and binds to a capsular polysaccharide covering R. capsulatus cells. Here, we report that the RcGTA capsid (head) is decorated by spikes that are needed for binding to the capsule. The triangular spikes measured ~12nm and appeared to be attached at the capsid vertices. Head spike production required the putative carbohydrate-binding protein ghsB (rcc01080) previously thought to encode a side tail fiber protein. We found that ghsB is likely co-transcribed with ghsA (rcc01079) and that ghsA/ghsB is regulated by the CckA-ChpT-CtrA phosphorelay homologues and a quorum-sensing system. GhsA and GhsB were found to be CckA-dependent RcGTA maturation factors, as GhsA- and GhsB-deficient particles were found to have altered native-gel electrophoresis migration. Additionally, we provide electron microscopy images showing that RcGTA contains side tail fibers and a baseplate-like structure near the tip of the tail, which are independent of ghsB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander B Westbye
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z3
| | - Kevin Kuchinski
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z3
| | - Calvin K Yip
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z3
| | - J Thomas Beatty
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z3.
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21
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Van Truong Thi B, Pham Khanh NH, Namikawa R, Miki K, Kondo A, Dang Thi PT, Kamei K. Genomic characterization of Ralstonia solanacearum phage ϕRS138 of the family Siphoviridae. Arch Virol 2015; 161:483-6. [PMID: 26526151 DOI: 10.1007/s00705-015-2654-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2015] [Accepted: 10/19/2015] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
ϕRS138, a bacteriophage of the family Siphoviridae that lyses Ralstonia solanacearum, was isolated. The genomic DNA of ϕRS138 was 41,941 bp long with a GC content of 65.1 % and contained 56 putative open reading frames. The ϕRS138 genome could be divided into three regions based on similarities to other genomes: (1) a region containing genes encoding a putative transcriptional regulator and an integrase, similar to the prophage genes in Ralstonia solanacearum K60-1; (2) a region encoding proteins related to structural modules and virion morphogenesis, similar to genes in the Pseudomonas phages of the family Siphoviridae; and (3) a region highly similar to the genomes of other Ralstonia solanacearum strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bich Van Truong Thi
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Matsugasaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8585, Japan
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology, Biotechnology Research and Development Institute, Can Tho University, Cantho City, Vietnam
| | - Nguyen Huan Pham Khanh
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Matsugasaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8585, Japan
| | - Ryuta Namikawa
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Matsugasaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8585, Japan
| | - Kaito Miki
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Matsugasaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8585, Japan
| | - Akihiro Kondo
- Hiyoshi Corporation, 908 Kitanosho, Omihachiman, Shiga, 523-8555, Japan
| | - Phuong Thao Dang Thi
- Department of Molecular and Environmental Biotechnology, University of Science, Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Kaeko Kamei
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Matsugasaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8585, Japan.
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22
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Jakhetia R, Verma NK. Identification and Molecular Characterisation of a Novel Mu-Like Bacteriophage, SfMu, of Shigella flexneri. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0124053. [PMID: 25902138 PMCID: PMC4406740 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0124053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2014] [Accepted: 02/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
S. flexneri is the leading cause of bacillary dysentery in the developing countries. Several temperate phages originating from this host have been characterised. However, all S. flexneri phages known to date are lambdoid phages, which have the ability to confer the O-antigen modification of their host. In this study, we report the isolation and characterisation of a novel Mu-like phage from a serotype 4a strain of S. flexneri. The genome of phage SfMu is composed of 37,146 bp and is predicted to contain 55 open reading frames (orfs). Comparative genome analysis of phage SfMu with Mu and other Mu-like phages revealed that SfMu is closely related to phage Mu, sharing >90% identity with majority of its proteins. Moreover, investigation of phage SfMu receptor on the surface of the host cell revealed that the O-antigen of the host serves as the receptor for the adsorption of phage SfMu. This study also demonstrates pervasiveness of SfMu phage in S. flexneri, by identifying complete SfMu prophage strains of serotype X and Y, and remnants of SfMu in strains belonging to 4 other serotypes, thereby indicating that transposable phages in S. flexneri are not uncommon. The findings of this study contribute an advance in our current knowledge of S. flexneri phages and will also play a key role in understanding the evolution of S. flexneri.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richa Jakhetia
- Division of Biomedical Science and Biochemistry, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia
| | - Naresh K. Verma
- Division of Biomedical Science and Biochemistry, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia
- * E-mail:
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23
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Dang VT, Sullivan MB. Emerging methods to study bacteriophage infection at the single-cell level. Front Microbiol 2014; 5:724. [PMID: 25566233 PMCID: PMC4274963 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2014.00724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2014] [Accepted: 12/02/2014] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteria and their viruses (phages) are abundant across diverse ecosystems and their interactions influence global biogeochemical cycles and incidence of disease. Problematically, both classical and metagenomic methods insufficiently assess the host specificity of phages and phage–host infection dynamics in nature. Here we review emerging methods to study phage–host interaction and infection dynamics with a focus on those that offer resolution at the single-cell level. These methods leverage ever-increasing sequence data to identify virus signals from single-cell amplified genome datasets or to produce primers/probes to target particular phage–bacteria pairs (digital PCR and phageFISH), even in complex communities. All three methods enable study of phage infection of uncultured bacteria from environmental samples, while the latter also discriminates between phage–host interaction outcomes (e.g., lytic, chronic, lysogenic) in model systems. Together these techniques enable quantitative, spatiotemporal studies of phage–bacteria interactions from environmental samples of any ecosystem, which will help elucidate and predict the ecological and evolutionary impacts of specific phage–host pairings in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinh T Dang
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Matthew B Sullivan
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona Tucson, AZ, USA ; Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Arizona Tucson, AZ, USA
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24
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Cazares A, Mendoza-Hernández G, Guarneros G. Core and accessory genome architecture in a group of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Mu-like phages. BMC Genomics 2014; 15:1146. [PMID: 25527250 PMCID: PMC4378225 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-15-1146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2014] [Accepted: 12/11/2014] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Bacteriophages that infect the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa have been classified into several groups. One of them, which includes temperate phage particles with icosahedral heads and long flexible tails, bears genomes whose architecture and replication mechanism, but not their nucleotide sequences, are like those of coliphage Mu. By comparing the genomic sequences of this group of P. aeruginosa phages one could draw conclusions about their ontogeny and evolution. Results Two newly isolated Mu-like phages of P. aeruginosa are described and their genomes sequenced and compared with those available in the public data banks. The genome sequences of the two phages are similar to each other and to those of a group of P. aeruginosa transposable phages. Comparing twelve of these genomes revealed a common genomic architecture in the group. Each phage genome had numerous genes with homologues in all the other genomes and a set of variable genes specific for each genome. The first group, which comprised most of the genes with assigned functions, was named “core genome”, and the second group, containing mostly short ORFs without assigned functions was called “accessory genome”. Like in other phage groups, variable genes are confined to specific regions in the genome. Conclusion Based on the known and inferred functions for some of the variable genes of the phages analyzed here, they appear to confer selective advantages for the phage survival under particular host conditions. We speculate that phages have developed a mechanism for horizontally acquiring genes to incorporate them at specific loci in the genome that help phage adaptation to the selective pressures imposed by the host. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1471-2164-15-1146) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Gabriel Guarneros
- Departamento de Genética y Biología Molecular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (CINVESTAV IPN), Mexico City, Mexico.
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25
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A marine inducible prophage vB_CibM-P1 isolated from the aerobic anoxygenic phototrophic bacterium Citromicrobium bathyomarinum JL354. Sci Rep 2014; 4:7118. [PMID: 25406510 PMCID: PMC4236739 DOI: 10.1038/srep07118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2014] [Accepted: 10/30/2014] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
A prophage vB_CibM-P1 was induced by mitomycin C from the epipelagic strain Citromicrobium bathyomarinum JL354, a member of the alpha-IV subcluster of marine aerobic anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria (AAPB). The induced bacteriophage vB_CibM-P1 had Myoviridae-like morphology and polyhedral heads (approximately capsid 60–100 nm) with tail fibers. The vB_CibM-P1 genome is ~38 kb in size, with 66.0% GC content. The genome contains 58 proposed open reading frames that are involved in integration, DNA packaging, morphogenesis and bacterial lysis. VB_CibM-P1 is a temperate phage that can be directly induced in hosts. In response to mitomycin C induction, virus-like particles can increase to 7 × 109 per ml, while host cells decrease an order of magnitude. The vB_CibM-P1 bacteriophage is the first inducible prophage from AAPB.
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26
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Peña-Castillo L, Mercer RG, Gurinovich A, Callister SJ, Wright AT, Westbye AB, Beatty JT, Lang AS. Gene co-expression network analysis in Rhodobacter capsulatus and application to comparative expression analysis of Rhodobacter sphaeroides. BMC Genomics 2014; 15:730. [PMID: 25164283 PMCID: PMC4158056 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-15-730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2014] [Accepted: 08/21/2014] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The genus Rhodobacter contains purple nonsulfur bacteria found mostly in freshwater environments. Representative strains of two Rhodobacter species, R. capsulatus and R. sphaeroides, have had their genomes fully sequenced and both have been the subject of transcriptional profiling studies. Gene co-expression networks can be used to identify modules of genes with similar expression profiles. Functional analysis of gene modules can then associate co-expressed genes with biological pathways, and network statistics can determine the degree of module preservation in related networks. In this paper, we constructed an R. capsulatus gene co-expression network, performed functional analysis of identified gene modules, and investigated preservation of these modules in R. capsulatus proteomics data and in R. sphaeroides transcriptomics data. Results The analysis identified 40 gene co-expression modules in R. capsulatus. Investigation of the module gene contents and expression profiles revealed patterns that were validated based on previous studies supporting the biological relevance of these modules. We identified two R. capsulatus gene modules preserved in the protein abundance data. We also identified several gene modules preserved between both Rhodobacter species, which indicate that these cellular processes are conserved between the species and are candidates for functional information transfer between species. Many gene modules were non-preserved, providing insight into processes that differentiate the two species. In addition, using Local Network Similarity (LNS), a recently proposed metric for expression divergence, we assessed the expression conservation of between-species pairs of orthologs, and within-species gene-protein expression profiles. Conclusions Our analyses provide new sources of information for functional annotation in R. capsulatus because uncharacterized genes in modules are now connected with groups of genes that constitute a joint functional annotation. We identified R. capsulatus modules enriched with genes for ribosomal proteins, porphyrin and bacteriochlorophyll anabolism, and biosynthesis of secondary metabolites to be preserved in R. sphaeroides whereas modules related to RcGTA production and signalling showed lack of preservation in R. sphaeroides. In addition, we demonstrated that network statistics may also be applied within-species to identify congruence between mRNA expression and protein abundance data for which simple correlation measurements have previously had mixed results. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1471-2164-15-730) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lourdes Peña-Castillo
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St, John's, NL A1B 3X5, Canada.
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27
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Freese HM, Dalingault H, Petersen J, Pradella S, Davenport K, Teshima H, Chen A, Pati A, Ivanova N, Goodwin LA, Chain P, Detter JC, Rohde M, Gronow S, Kyrpides NC, Woyke T, Brinkhoff T, Göker M, Overmann J, Klenk HP. Genome sequence of the phage-gene rich marine Phaeobacter arcticus type strain DSM 23566(T.). Stand Genomic Sci 2013; 8:450-64. [PMID: 24501630 PMCID: PMC3910698 DOI: 10.4056/sigs.383362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Phaeobacter arcticus Zhang et al. 2008 belongs to the marine Roseobacter clade whose members are phylogenetically and physiologically diverse. In contrast to the type species of this genus, Phaeobacter gallaeciensis, which is well characterized, relatively little is known about the characteristics of P. arcticus. Here, we describe the features of this organism including the annotated high-quality draft genome sequence and highlight some particular traits. The 5,049,232 bp long genome with its 4,828 protein-coding and 81 RNA genes consists of one chromosome and five extrachromosomal elements. Prophage sequences identified via PHAST constitute nearly 5% of the bacterial chromosome and included a potential Mu-like phage as well as a gene-transfer agent (GTA). In addition, the genome of strain DSM 23566(T) encodes all of the genes necessary for assimilatory nitrate reduction. Phylogenetic analysis and intergenomic distances indicate that the classification of the species might need to be reconsidered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heike M. Freese
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ – German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Hajnalka Dalingault
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Bioscience Division, Los Alamos, New Mexico, USA
| | - Jörn Petersen
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ – German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Silke Pradella
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ – German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Karen Davenport
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Bioscience Division, Los Alamos, New Mexico, USA
| | - Hazuki Teshima
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Bioscience Division, Los Alamos, New Mexico, USA
| | - Amy Chen
- Biological Data Management and Technology Center, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Amrita Pati
- DOE Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, California, USA
| | | | - Lynne A. Goodwin
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Bioscience Division, Los Alamos, New Mexico, USA
- DOE Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, California, USA
| | - Patrick Chain
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Bioscience Division, Los Alamos, New Mexico, USA
| | - John C. Detter
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Bioscience Division, Los Alamos, New Mexico, USA
- DOE Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, California, USA
| | - Manfred Rohde
- HZI – Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Sabine Gronow
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ – German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany
| | | | - Tanja Woyke
- DOE Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, California, USA
| | - Thorsten Brinkhoff
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Markus Göker
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ – German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Jörg Overmann
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ – German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Hans-Peter Klenk
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ – German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany
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Toussaint A. Transposable Mu-like phages in Firmicutes: new instances of divergence generating retroelements. Res Microbiol 2013; 164:281-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.resmic.2013.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2012] [Accepted: 01/09/2013] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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Fogg PCM, Westbye AB, Beatty JT. One for all or all for one: heterogeneous expression and host cell lysis are key to gene transfer agent activity in Rhodobacter capsulatus. PLoS One 2012; 7:e43772. [PMID: 22916305 PMCID: PMC3423380 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0043772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2012] [Accepted: 07/25/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The gene transfer agent (RcGTA) of Rhodobacter capsulatus is the model for a family of novel bacteriophage-related genetic elements that carry out lateral transfer of essentially random host DNA. Genuine and putative gene transfer agents have been discovered in diverse genera and are becoming recognized as potentially an important source of genetic exchange and microbial evolution in the oceans. Despite being discovered over 30 years ago, little is known about many essential aspects of RcGTA biology. Here, we validate the use of direct fluorescence reporter constructs, which express the red fluorescent protein mCherry in R. capsulatus. A construct containing the RcGTA promoter fused to mCherry was used to examine the single-cell expression profiles of wild type and RcGTA overproducer R. capsulatus populations, under different growth conditions and growth phases. The majority of RcGTA production clearly arises from a small, distinct sub-set of the population in the wild type strain and a larger sub-set in the overproducer. The most likely RcGTA release mechanism concomitant with this expression pattern is host cell lysis and we present direct evidence for the release of an intracellular enzyme accompanying RcGTA release. RcGTA ORF s is annotated as a ‘cell wall peptidase’ but we rule out a role in host lysis and propose an alternative function as a key contributor to RcGTA invasion of a target cell during infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul C. M. Fogg
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Alexander B. Westbye
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - J. Thomas Beatty
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- * E-mail:
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Hynes AP, Mercer RG, Watton DE, Buckley CB, Lang AS. DNA packaging bias and differential expression of gene transfer agent genes within a population during production and release of the Rhodobacter capsulatus gene transfer agent, RcGTA. Mol Microbiol 2012; 85:314-25. [PMID: 22640804 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2012.08113.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Rhodobacter capsulatus produces a gene transfer agent (GTA) called RcGTA. RcGTA is a phage-like particle that packages R. capsulatus DNA and transfers it to other R. capsulatus cells. We quantified the relative frequency of packaging for each gene in the genome by hybridization of DNA from RcGTA particles to an R. capsulatus microarray. All genes were found within the RcGTA particles. However, the genes encoding the RcGTA particle were under-packaged compared with other regions. Gene transfer bioassays confirmed that the transfer of genes within the RcGTA structural cluster is reduced relative to those of other genes. Single-cell expression analysis, by flow cytometry analysis of cells containing RcGTA-reporter gene fusion constructs, demonstrated that RcGTA gene expression is not uniform within a culture. This phenomenon was accentuated when the constructs were placed in a strain lacking a putative lysis gene involved in RcGTA release; a small subpopulation was found to be responsible for ∼ 95% of RcGTA activity. We propose a mechanism whereby high levels of RcGTA gene transcription in the most active RcGTA-producing cells cause a reduction in their packaging frequency. This subpopulation's role in producing and releasing the RcGTA particles explains the lack of observed cell lysis in cultures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander P Hynes
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 232 Elizabeth Ave., St John's, NL, A1B 3X9, Canada
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Lang AS, Zhaxybayeva O, Beatty JT. Gene transfer agents: phage-like elements of genetic exchange. Nat Rev Microbiol 2012; 10:472-82. [PMID: 22683880 DOI: 10.1038/nrmicro2802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 245] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Horizontal gene transfer is important in the evolution of bacterial and archaeal genomes. An interesting genetic exchange process is carried out by diverse phage-like gene transfer agents (GTAs) that are found in a wide range of prokaryotes. Although GTAs resemble phages, they lack the hallmark capabilities that define typical phages, and they package random pieces of the producing cell's genome. In this Review, we discuss the defining characteristics of the GTAs that have been identified to date, along with potential functions for these agents and the possible evolutionary forces that act on the genes involved in their production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew S Lang
- Department of Biology, Memorial University, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador A1B 3X9, Canada.
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Gain and loss of phototrophic genes revealed by comparison of two Citromicrobium bacterial genomes. PLoS One 2012; 7:e35790. [PMID: 22558224 PMCID: PMC3338782 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0035790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2011] [Accepted: 03/22/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Proteobacteria are thought to have diverged from a phototrophic ancestor, according to the scattered distribution of phototrophy throughout the proteobacterial clade, and so the occurrence of numerous closely related phototrophic and chemotrophic microorganisms may be the result of the loss of genes for phototrophy. A widespread form of bacterial phototrophy is based on the photochemical reaction center, encoded by puf and puh operons that typically are in a ‘photosynthesis gene cluster’ (abbreviated as the PGC) with pigment biosynthesis genes. Comparison of two closely related Citromicrobial genomes (98.1% sequence identity of complete 16S rRNA genes), Citromicrobium sp. JL354, which contains two copies of reaction center genes, and Citromicrobium strain JLT1363, which is chemotrophic, revealed evidence for the loss of phototrophic genes. However, evidence of horizontal gene transfer was found in these two bacterial genomes. An incomplete PGC (pufLMC-puhCBA) in strain JL354 was located within an integrating conjugative element, which indicates a potential mechanism for the horizontal transfer of genes for phototrophy.
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