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Barno AR, Green K, Rohwer F, Silveira CB. Snow viruses and their implications on red snow algal blooms. mSystems 2024; 9:e0008324. [PMID: 38647296 PMCID: PMC11097641 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00083-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 03/23/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Algal blooms can give snowmelt a red color, reducing snow albedo and creating a runaway effect that accelerates snow melting. The occurrence of red snow is predicted to grow in polar and subpolar regions with increasing global temperatures. We hypothesize that these algal blooms affect virus-bacteria interactions in snow, with potential effects on snowmelt dynamics. A genomic analysis of double-stranded DNA virus communities in red and white snow from the Whistler region of British Columbia, Canada, identified 792 putative viruses infecting bacteria. The most abundant putative snow viruses displayed low genomic similarity with known viruses. We recovered the complete circular genomes of nine putative viruses, two of which were classified as temperate. Putative snow viruses encoded genes involved in energy metabolisms, such as NAD+ synthesis and salvage pathways. In model phages, these genes facilitate increased viral particle production and lysis rates. The frequency of temperate phages was positively correlated with microbial abundance in the snow samples. These results suggest the increased frequency of temperate virus-bacteria interactions as microbial densities increase during snowmelt. We propose that this virus-bacteria dynamic may facilitate the red snow algae growth stimulated by bacteria.IMPORTANCEMicrobial communities in red snow algal blooms contribute to intensifying snowmelt rates. The role of viruses in snow during this environmental shift, however, has yet to be elucidated. Here, we characterize novel viruses extracted from snow viral metagenomes and define the functional capacities of snow viruses in both white and red snow. These results are contextualized using the composition and functions observed in the bacterial communities from the same snow samples. Together, these data demonstrate the energy metabolism performed by viruses and bacteria in a snow algal bloom, as well as expand the overall knowledge of viral genomes in extreme environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam R. Barno
- Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Kevin Green
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Forest Rohwer
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, USA
- Viral Information Institute, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, USA
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2
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Rassner SME, Cook JM, Mitchell AC, Stevens IT, Irvine-Fynn TDL, Hodson AJ, Edwards A. The distinctive weathering crust habitat of a High Arctic glacier comprises discrete microbial micro-habitats. Environ Microbiol 2024; 26:e16617. [PMID: 38558266 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Sunlight penetrates the ice surfaces of glaciers and ice sheets, forming a water-bearing porous ice matrix known as the weathering crust. This crust is home to a significant microbial community. Despite the potential implications of microbial processes in the weathering crust for glacial melting, biogeochemical cycles, and downstream ecosystems, there have been few explorations of its microbial communities. In our study, we used 16S rRNA gene sequencing and shotgun metagenomics of a Svalbard glacier surface catchment to characterise the microbial communities within the weathering crust, their origins and destinies, and the functional potential of the weathering crust metagenome. Our findings reveal that the bacterial community in the weathering crust is distinct from those in upstream and downstream habitats. However, it comprises two separate micro-habitats, each with different taxa and functional categories. The interstitial porewater is dominated by Polaromonas, influenced by the transfer of snowmelt, and exported via meltwater channels. In contrast, the ice matrix is dominated by Hymenobacter, and its metagenome exhibits a diverse range of functional adaptations. Given that the global weathering crust area and the subsequent release of microbes from it are strongly responsive to climate projections for the rest of the century, our results underscore the pressing need to integrate the microbiome of the weathering crust with other communities and processes in glacial ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Joseph M Cook
- Department of Life Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Andrew C Mitchell
- Department of Geography and Earth Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK
| | - Ian T Stevens
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
- Department of Geography and Earth Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK
| | | | - Andrew J Hodson
- Department of Arctic Geology, University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS), Longyearbyen, Norway
| | - Arwyn Edwards
- Department of Life Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK
- Department of Arctic Biology, University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS), Longyearbyen, Norway
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3
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Rozwalak P, Barylski J, Wijesekara Y, Dutilh BE, Zielezinski A. Ultraconserved bacteriophage genome sequence identified in 1300-year-old human palaeofaeces. Nat Commun 2024; 15:495. [PMID: 38263397 PMCID: PMC10805732 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44370-0] [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: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Bacteriophages are widely recognised as rapidly evolving biological entities. However, knowledge about ancient bacteriophages is limited. Here, we analyse DNA sequence datasets previously generated from ancient palaeofaeces and human gut-content samples, and identify an ancient phage genome nearly identical to present-day Mushuvirus mushu, a virus that infects gut commensal bacteria. The DNA damage patterns of the genome are consistent with its ancient origin and, despite 1300 years of evolution, the ancient Mushuvirus genome shares 97.7% nucleotide identity with its modern counterpart, indicating a long-term relationship between the prophage and its host. In addition, we reconstruct and authenticate 297 other phage genomes from the last 5300 years, including those belonging to unknown families. Our findings demonstrate the feasibility of reconstructing ancient phage genome sequences, thus expanding the known virosphere and offering insights into phage-bacteria interactions spanning several millennia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piotr Rozwalak
- Department of Computational Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, 61-614, Poland
| | - Jakub Barylski
- Department of Molecular Virology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, 61-614, Poland
| | - Yasas Wijesekara
- Institute of Bioinformatics, University Medicine Greifswald, Felix-Hausdorff-Str. 8, 17475, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Bas E Dutilh
- Institute of Biodiversity, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Cluster of Excellence Balance of the Microverse, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, 07743, Jena, Germany.
- Theoretical Biology and Bioinformatics, Science4Life, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
| | - Andrzej Zielezinski
- Department of Computational Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, 61-614, Poland.
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4
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Heinrichs ME, Piedade GJ, Popa O, Sommers P, Trubl G, Weissenbach J, Rahlff J. Breaking the Ice: A Review of Phages in Polar Ecosystems. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2738:31-71. [PMID: 37966591 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3549-0_3] [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] [Indexed: 11/16/2023]
Abstract
Bacteriophages, or phages, are viruses that infect and replicate within bacterial hosts, playing a significant role in regulating microbial populations and ecosystem dynamics. However, phages from extreme environments such as polar regions remain relatively understudied due to challenges such as restricted ecosystem access and low biomass. Understanding the diversity, structure, and functions of polar phages is crucial for advancing our knowledge of the microbial ecology and biogeochemistry of these environments. In this review, we will explore the current state of knowledge on phages from the Arctic and Antarctic, focusing on insights gained from -omic studies, phage isolation, and virus-like particle abundance data. Metagenomic studies of polar environments have revealed a high diversity of phages with unique genetic characteristics, providing insights into their evolutionary and ecological roles. Phage isolation studies have identified novel phage-host interactions and contributed to the discovery of new phage species. Virus-like particle abundance and lysis rate data, on the other hand, have highlighted the importance of phages in regulating bacterial populations and nutrient cycling in polar environments. Overall, this review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of knowledge about polar phages, and by synthesizing these different sources of information, we can better understand the diversity, dynamics, and functions of polar phages in the context of ongoing climate change, which will help to predict how polar ecosystems and residing phages may respond to future environmental perturbations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mara Elena Heinrichs
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment, Carl von Ossietzky University, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Gonçalo J Piedade
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, 't Horntje, The Netherlands
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ovidiu Popa
- Institute of Quantitative and Theoretical Biology Heinrich-Heine University Duesseldorf, Duesseldorf, Germany
| | | | - Gareth Trubl
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, USA
| | - Julia Weissenbach
- Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems (EEMiS), Department of Biology and Environmental Science, Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden
| | - Janina Rahlff
- Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems (EEMiS), Department of Biology and Environmental Science, Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden.
- Aero-Aquatic Virus Research Group, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany.
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5
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Qi X, Ji M, Yin CF, Zhou NY, Liu Y. Glacier as a source of novel polyethylene terephthalate hydrolases. Environ Microbiol 2023; 25:2822-2833. [PMID: 37775503 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023]
Abstract
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is a major component of microplastic contamination globally, which is now detected in pristine environments including Polar and mountain glaciers. As a carbon-rich molecule, PET could be a carbon source for microorganisms dwelling in glacier habitats. Thus, glacial microorganisms may be potential PET degraders with novel PET hydrolases. Here, we obtained 414 putative PET hydrolase sequences by searching a global glacier metagenome dataset. Metagenomes from the Alps and Tibetan glaciers exhibited a higher relative abundance of putative PET hydrolases than those from the Arctic and Antarctic. Twelve putative PET hydrolase sequences were cloned and expressed, with one sequence (designated as GlacPETase) proven to degrade amorphous PET film with a similar performance as IsPETase, but with a higher thermostability. GlacPETase exhibited only 30% sequence identity to known active PET hydrolases with a novel disulphide bridge location and, therefore may represent a novel PET hydrolases class. The present work suggests that extreme carbon-poor environments may harbour a diverse range of known and novel PET hydrolases for carbon acquisition as an environmental adaptation mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyan Qi
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic and Developmental Sciences, and School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Mukan Ji
- Center for Pan-third Pole Environment, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Chao-Fan Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic and Developmental Sciences, and School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ning-Yi Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic and Developmental Sciences, and School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yongqin Liu
- Center for Pan-third Pole Environment, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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6
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Hay MC, Mitchell AC, Soares AR, Debbonaire AR, Mogrovejo DC, Els N, Edwards A. Metagenome-assembled genomes from High Arctic glaciers highlight the vulnerability of glacier-associated microbiota and their activities to habitat loss. Microb Genom 2023; 9. [PMID: 37937832 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.001131] [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] [Indexed: 11/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The rapid warming of the Arctic is threatening the demise of its glaciers and their associated ecosystems. Therefore, there is an urgent need to explore and understand the diversity of genomes resident within glacial ecosystems endangered by human-induced climate change. In this study we use genome-resolved metagenomics to explore the taxonomic and functional diversity of different habitats within glacier-occupied catchments. Comparing different habitats within such catchments offers a natural experiment for understanding the effects of changing habitat extent or even loss upon Arctic microbiota. Through binning and annotation of metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) we describe the spatial differences in taxon distribution and their implications for glacier-associated biogeochemical cycling. Multiple taxa associated with carbon cycling included organisms with the potential for carbon monoxide oxidation. Meanwhile, nitrogen fixation was mediated by a single taxon, although diverse taxa contribute to other nitrogen conversions. Genes for sulphur oxidation were prevalent within MAGs implying the potential capacity for sulphur cycling. Finally, we focused on cyanobacterial MAGs, and those within cryoconite, a biodiverse microbe-mineral granular aggregate responsible for darkening glacier surfaces. Although the metagenome-assembled genome of Phormidesmis priestleyi, the cyanobacterium responsible for forming Arctic cryoconite was represented with high coverage, evidence for the biosynthesis of multiple vitamins and co-factors was absent from its MAG. Our results indicate the potential for cross-feeding to sustain P. priestleyi within granular cryoconite. Taken together, genome-resolved metagenomics reveals the vulnerability of glacier-associated microbiota to the deletion of glacial habitats through the rapid warming of the Arctic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie C Hay
- Department of Life Sciences (DLS), Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Environmental Microbiology (iCEM), Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK
- Department of Geography and Earth Sciences (DGES), Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK
- Present address: Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, The Royal Veterinary College, North Mymms, Hertfordshire, UK
| | - Andrew C Mitchell
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Environmental Microbiology (iCEM), Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK
- Department of Geography and Earth Sciences (DGES), Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK
| | - Andre R Soares
- Department of Life Sciences (DLS), Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Environmental Microbiology (iCEM), Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK
- Department of Geography and Earth Sciences (DGES), Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK
- Present address: Environmental Metagenomics, Research Center One Health Ruhr of the University Alliance Ruhr, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Aliyah R Debbonaire
- Department of Life Sciences (DLS), Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Environmental Microbiology (iCEM), Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK
| | - Diana C Mogrovejo
- Dr. Brill + Partner GmbH Institut für Hygiene und Mikrobiologie, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Nora Els
- Department of Lake and Glacier Research, Institute of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Arwyn Edwards
- Department of Life Sciences (DLS), Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Environmental Microbiology (iCEM), Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK
- Department of Arctic Biology, University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS), Longyearbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen
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7
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Liu Y, Jiao N, Xu Zhong K, Zang L, Zhang R, Xiao X, Shi Y, Zhang Z, Tao Y, Bai L, Gao B, Yang Y, Huang X, Ji M, Liu J, Liu P, Yao T. Diversity and function of mountain and polar supraglacial DNA viruses. Sci Bull (Beijing) 2023; 68:2418-2433. [PMID: 37739838 DOI: 10.1016/j.scib.2023.09.007] [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: 04/29/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/24/2023]
Abstract
Mountain and polar glaciers cover 10% of the Earth's surface and are typically extreme environments that challenge life of all forms. Viruses are abundant and active in supraglacial ecosystems and play a crucial role in controlling the supraglacial microbial communities. However, our understanding of virus ecology on glacier surfaces and their potential impacts on downstream ecosystems remains limited. Here, we present the supraglacial virus genome (SgVG) catalog, a 15-fold expanded genomic inventory of 10,840 DNA-virus species from 38 mountain and polar glaciers, spanning habitats such as snow, ice, meltwater, and cryoconite. Supraglacial DNA-viruses were highly specific compared to viruses in other ecosystems yet exhibited low public health risks. Supraglacial viral communities were primarily constrained by habitat, with cryoconite displaying the highest viral activity levels. We observed a prevalence of lytic viruses in all habitats, especially in cryoconite, but a high level of lysogenic viruses in snow and ice. Additionally, we found that supraglacial viruses could be linked to ∼83% of obtained prokaryotic phyla/classes and possessed the genetic potential to promote metabolism and increase cold adaptation, cell mobility, and phenolic carbon use of hosts in hostile environmental conditions using diverse auxiliary metabolic genes. Our results provide the first systematic characterization of the diversity, function, and public health risks evaluation of mountain and polar supraglacial DNA viruses. This understanding of glacial viruses is crucial for function assessments and ecological modeling of glacier ecosystems, especially for the Tibetan Plateau's Mountain glaciers, which support ∼20% of the human populations on Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongqin Liu
- Center for Pan-third Pole Environment, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China; State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
| | - Nianzhi Jiao
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Kevin Xu Zhong
- Department of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Lin Zang
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Rui Zhang
- Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518000, China
| | - Xiang Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Yi Shi
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Zhihao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Ye Tao
- State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Liping Bai
- Key Laboratory of Development and Application of Rural Renewable Energy, Biogas Institute of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Bianli Gao
- Center for Pan-third Pole Environment, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Yunlan Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Xingyu Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Mukan Ji
- Center for Pan-third Pole Environment, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Junzhi Liu
- Center for Pan-third Pole Environment, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Pengfei Liu
- Center for Pan-third Pole Environment, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China.
| | - Tandong Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
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8
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Zhang Z, Liu Y, Zhao W, Ji M. Radiation impacts gene redundancy and biofilm regulation of cryoconite microbiomes in Northern Hemisphere glaciers. MICROBIOME 2023; 11:228. [PMID: 37848997 PMCID: PMC10583317 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-023-01621-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Glaciers harbor diverse microorganisms adapted to extreme conditions with high radiation, fluctuating temperature, and low nutrient availability. In glacial ecosystems, cryoconite granules are hotspots of microbial metabolic activity and could influences the biogeochemical cycle on glacier surface. Climate change could influence glacier dynamics by changing regional meteorological factors (e.g., radiation, precipitation, temperature, wind, and evaporation). Moreover, meteorological factors not only influence glacier dynamics but also directly or indirectly influence cryoconite microbiomes. However, the relationship of the meteorological factors and cryoconite microbiome are poorly understood. RESULTS Here, we collected 88 metagenomes from 26 glaciers distributed in the Northern Hemisphere with corresponding public meteorological data to reveal the relationship between meteorological factors and variation of cryoconite microbiome. Our results showed significant differences in taxonomic and genomic characteristics between cryoconite generalists and specialists. Additionally, we found that the biogeography of both generalists and specialists was influenced by solar radiation. Specialists with smaller genome size and lower gene redundancy were more abundant under high radiation stress, implying that streamlined genomes are more adapted to high radiation conditions. Network analysis revealed that biofilm regulation is a ubiquitous function in response to radiation stress, and hub genes were associated with the formation and dispersion of biofilms. CONCLUSION These findings enhance our understanding of glacier cryoconite microbiome variation on a hemispheric scale and indicate the response mechanisms to radiation stress, which will support forecasts of the ecological consequences of future climate change. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhihao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yongqin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
- Center for Pan-Third Pole Environment, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China.
| | - Weishu Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
- SJTU Yazhou Bay Institute of Deepsea Sci-Tech, Yongyou Industrial Park, Sanya, 572024, China
- International Center for Deep Life Investigation (IC-DLI), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Mukan Ji
- Center for Pan-Third Pole Environment, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
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9
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Gonzalez-Serrano R, Rosselli R, Roda-Garcia JJ, Martin-Cuadrado AB, Rodriguez-Valera F, Dunne M. Distantly related Alteromonas bacteriophages share tail fibers exhibiting properties of transient chaperone caps. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6517. [PMID: 37845226 PMCID: PMC10579305 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42114-8] [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: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The host recognition modules encoding the injection machinery and receptor binding proteins (RBPs) of bacteriophages are predisposed to mutation and recombination to maintain infectivity towards co-evolving bacterial hosts. In this study, we reveal how Alteromonas mediterranea schitovirus A5 shares its host recognition module, including tail fiber and cognate chaperone, with phages from distantly related families including Alteromonas myovirus V22. While the V22 chaperone is essential for producing active tail fibers, here we demonstrate production of functional A5 tail fibers regardless of chaperone co-expression. AlphaFold-generated models of tail fiber and chaperone pairs from phages A5, V22, and other Alteromonas phages reveal how amino acid insertions within both A5-like proteins results in a knob domain duplication in the tail fiber and a chaperone β-hairpin "tentacle" extension. These structural modifications are linked to differences in chaperone dependency between the A5 and V22 tail fibers. Structural similarity between the chaperones and intramolecular chaperone domains of other phage RBPs suggests an additional function of these chaperones as transient fiber "caps". Finally, our identification of homologous host recognition modules from morphologically distinct phages implies that horizontal gene transfer and recombination events between unrelated phages may be a more common process than previously thought among Caudoviricetes phages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Gonzalez-Serrano
- Evolutionary Genomics Group, Universidad Miguel Hernández, San Juan de Alicante, Spain
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, CBMSO-CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Riccardo Rosselli
- Research & Development Department, LABAQUA S.A. Las Atalayas, Alicante, Spain
- Department of Physiology, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Juan J Roda-Garcia
- Evolutionary Genomics Group, Universidad Miguel Hernández, San Juan de Alicante, Spain
| | | | | | - Matthew Dunne
- Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zurich, Switzerland.
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10
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Rahlff J, Esser SP, Plewka J, Heinrichs ME, Soares A, Scarchilli C, Grigioni P, Wex H, Giebel HA, Probst AJ. Marine viruses disperse bidirectionally along the natural water cycle. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6354. [PMID: 37816747 PMCID: PMC10564846 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42125-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Marine viruses in seawater have frequently been studied, yet their dispersal from neuston ecosystems at the air-sea interface towards the atmosphere remains a knowledge gap. Here, we show that 6.2% of the studied virus population were shared between air-sea interface ecosystems and rainwater. Virus enrichment in the 1-mm thin surface microlayer and sea foams happened selectively, and variant analysis proved virus transfer to aerosols collected at ~2 m height above sea level and rain. Viruses detected in rain and these aerosols showed a significantly higher percent G/C base content compared to marine viruses. CRISPR spacer matches of marine prokaryotes to foreign viruses from rainwater prove regular virus-host encounters at the air-sea interface. Our findings on aerosolization, adaptations, and dispersal support transmission of viruses along the natural water cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janina Rahlff
- Group for Aquatic Microbial Ecology, Department of Chemistry, Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology (EMB), University of Duisburg-Essen, 45141, Essen, Germany.
- Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems (EEMiS), Department of Biology and Environmental Science, Linnaeus University, 39231, Kalmar, Sweden.
- Aero-Aquatic Virus Research Group, Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, 07743, Jena, Germany.
| | - Sarah P Esser
- Group for Aquatic Microbial Ecology, Department of Chemistry, Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology (EMB), University of Duisburg-Essen, 45141, Essen, Germany
- Environmental Metagenomics, Research Center One Health Ruhr of the University Alliance Ruhr, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45141, Essen, Germany
| | - Julia Plewka
- Group for Aquatic Microbial Ecology, Department of Chemistry, Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology (EMB), University of Duisburg-Essen, 45141, Essen, Germany
- Environmental Metagenomics, Research Center One Health Ruhr of the University Alliance Ruhr, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45141, Essen, Germany
| | - Mara Elena Heinrichs
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM), Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, 26129, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - André Soares
- Group for Aquatic Microbial Ecology, Department of Chemistry, Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology (EMB), University of Duisburg-Essen, 45141, Essen, Germany
- Environmental Metagenomics, Research Center One Health Ruhr of the University Alliance Ruhr, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45141, Essen, Germany
| | - Claudio Scarchilli
- Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), 00123, Rome, Italy
| | - Paolo Grigioni
- Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), 00123, Rome, Italy
| | - Heike Wex
- Atmospheric Microphysics, Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research (TROPOS), 04318, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Helge-Ansgar Giebel
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM), Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, 26129, Oldenburg, Germany
- Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM), Center for Marine Sensors (ZfMarS), Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, 26382, Wilhelmshaven, Germany
| | - Alexander J Probst
- Group for Aquatic Microbial Ecology, Department of Chemistry, Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology (EMB), University of Duisburg-Essen, 45141, Essen, Germany
- Environmental Metagenomics, Research Center One Health Ruhr of the University Alliance Ruhr, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45141, Essen, Germany
- Centre of Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), University of Duisburg-Essen, 45141, Essen, Germany
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11
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Peng Q, Ma Z, Han Q, Xiang F, Wang L, Zhang Y, Zhao Y, Li J, Xian Y, Yuan Y. Characterization of bacteriophage vB_KleM_KB2 possessing high control ability to pathogenic Klebsiella pneumoniae. Sci Rep 2023; 13:9815. [PMID: 37330608 PMCID: PMC10276810 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-37065-5] [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: 01/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Klebsiella pneumoniae is a widespread pathogen of several human diseases. The emergence of multidrug-resistant K. pneumoniae makes the treatment of these diseases a significant challenge. The application of bacteriophages is a potential approach for dealing with the emergence of multidrug-resistant pathogenic bacteria. This study isolates a novel bacteriophage vB_KleM_KB2 that infects the multidrug-resistant clinical isolates of K. pneumoniae. The bacteriophage exhibits a short latent period of 10 min, and can effectively lyse the bacterium within 60 min. Notably, the bacteriophage can completely inhibit the growth of the host bacterium at the initial concentration of 107 CFU/mL with a low multiplicity of infection of 0.001, which proves its high lytic activity. Furthermore, the bacteriophage shows high environmental tolerances, which can facilitate the practical application of the bacteriophage. Analysis of the bacteriophage genome shows that the bacteriophage possesses a novel genome sequence and can represent a new bacteriophage genus. Considering the high lytic activity, short latent period, high stability, and novel genetic background, bacteriophage vB_KleM_KB2 enriches the bacteriophage library and provides a new alternative for controlling the diseases caused by multidrug-resistant pathogenic K. pneumoniae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qin Peng
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, 571158, China
| | - Zimeng Ma
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, 571158, China
| | - Qing Han
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, 571158, China
| | - Fangfang Xiang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, 571158, China
| | - Lushuang Wang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, 571158, China
| | - Yibin Zhang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, 571158, China
| | - Yuting Zhao
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, 571158, China
| | - Jianing Li
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, 571158, China
| | - Yaxin Xian
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, 571158, China
| | - Yihui Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China.
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12
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Khambhati K, Bhattacharjee G, Gohil N, Maurya R, Singh V. Exploring the potential of phage and their applications. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2023; 200:1-12. [PMID: 37739550 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2023.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/24/2023]
Abstract
Antibiotic resistant microorganisms are significantly increasing due to horizontal gene transfer, mutation and overdose of antibiotics leading to serious health conditions globally. Several multidrug resistant microorganisms have shown resistance to even the last line of antibiotics making it very difficult to treat them. Besides using antibiotics, an alternative approach to treat such resistant bacterial pathogens through the use of bacteriophage (phage) was used in the early 1900s which however declined and vanished after the discovery of antibiotics. In recent times, phage has emerged and gained interest as an alternative approach to antibiotics to treat MDR pathogens. Phage can self-replicate by utilizing cellular machinery of bacterial host by following lytic and lysogenic life cycles and therefore suitable for rapid regeneration. Application of phage for detection of bacterial pathogens, elimination of bacteria, agents for controlling food spoilage, treating human disease and several others entitles phage as a futuristic antibacterial armamentarium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khushal Khambhati
- Department of Biosciences, School of Science, Indrashil University, Rajpur, Mehsana, Gujarat, India
| | - Gargi Bhattacharjee
- Department of Biosciences, School of Science, Indrashil University, Rajpur, Mehsana, Gujarat, India
| | - Nisarg Gohil
- Department of Biosciences, School of Science, Indrashil University, Rajpur, Mehsana, Gujarat, India
| | - Rupesh Maurya
- Department of Biosciences, School of Science, Indrashil University, Rajpur, Mehsana, Gujarat, India
| | - Vijai Singh
- Department of Biosciences, School of Science, Indrashil University, Rajpur, Mehsana, Gujarat, India.
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13
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Kavagutti VS, Chiriac MC, Ghai R, Salcher MM, Haber M. Isolation of phages infecting the abundant freshwater Actinobacteriota order 'Ca. Nanopelagicales'. THE ISME JOURNAL 2023; 17:943-946. [PMID: 36964199 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-023-01400-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Revised: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/26/2023]
Abstract
Low-GC Actinobacteriota of the order 'Ca. Nanopelagicales' (also known as acI or hgcI clade) are abundant in freshwaters around the globe. Extensive predation pressure by phages has been assumed to be the reason for their high levels of microdiversity. So far, however, only a few metagenome-assembled phages have been proposed to infect them and no phages have been isolated. Taking advantage of recent advances in the cultivation of 'Ca. Nanopelagicales' we isolated a novel species of its genus 'Ca. Planktophila'. Using this isolate as bait, we cultivated the first two phages infecting this abundant bacterial order. Both genomes contained a whiB-like transcription factor and a RNA polymerase sigma-70 factor, which might aid in manipulating their host's metabolism. Both phages encoded a glycosyltransferase and one an anti-restriction protein, potential means to evade degradation of their DNA by nucleases present in the host genome. The two phage genomes shared only 6% of their genome with their closest relatives, with whom they form a previously uncultured family of actinophages within the Caudoviricetes. Read recruitment analyses against globally distributed metagenomes revealed the endemic distribution of this group of phages infecting 'Ca. Nanopelagicales'. The recruitment pattern against metagenomes from the isolation site and the modular distribution of shared genes between the two phages indicate high levels of horizontal gene transfer, likely mirroring the microdiversity of their host in the evolutionary arms race between host and phage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinicius S Kavagutti
- Department of Aquatic Microbial Ecology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Biology Centre CAS, Na Sádkách 702/7, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Maria-Cecilia Chiriac
- Department of Aquatic Microbial Ecology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Biology Centre CAS, Na Sádkách 702/7, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Rohit Ghai
- Department of Aquatic Microbial Ecology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Biology Centre CAS, Na Sádkách 702/7, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Michaela M Salcher
- Department of Aquatic Microbial Ecology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Biology Centre CAS, Na Sádkách 702/7, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Markus Haber
- Department of Aquatic Microbial Ecology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Biology Centre CAS, Na Sádkách 702/7, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
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14
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The Evolutionary History of a DNA Methylase Reveals Frequent Horizontal Transfer and Within-Gene Recombination. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:genes14020288. [PMID: 36833214 PMCID: PMC9957025 DOI: 10.3390/genes14020288] [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: 12/19/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Inteins, often referred to as protein introns, are highly mobile genetic elements that invade conserved genes throughout the tree of life. Inteins have been found to invade a wide variety of key genes within actinophages. While in the process of conducting a survey of these inteins in actinophages, we discovered that one protein family of methylases contained a putative intein, and two other unique insertion elements. These methylases are known to occur commonly in phages as orphan methylases (possibly as a form of resistance to restriction-modification systems). We found that the methylase family is not conserved within phage clusters and has a disparate distribution across divergent phage groups. We determined that two of the three insertion elements have a patchy distribution within the methylase protein family. Additionally, we found that the third insertion element is likely a second homing endonuclease, and that all three elements (the intein, the homing endonuclease, and what we refer to as the ShiLan domain) have different insertion sites that are conserved in the methylase gene family. Furthermore, we find strong evidence that both the intein and ShiLan domain are partaking in long-distance horizontal gene transfer events between divergent methylases in disparate phage hosts within the already dispersed methylase distribution. The reticulate evolutionary history of methylases and their insertion elements reveals high rates of gene transfer and within-gene recombination in actinophages.
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15
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Górniak M, Zalewska A, Jurczak-Kurek A. Recombination Events in Putative Tail Fibre Gene in Litunavirus Phages Infecting Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Their Phylogenetic Consequences. Viruses 2022; 14:v14122669. [PMID: 36560673 PMCID: PMC9786124 DOI: 10.3390/v14122669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 11/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Recombination is the main driver of bacteriophage evolution. It may serve as a tool for extending the phage host spectrum, which is significant not only for phages' ecology but also for their utilisation as therapeutic agents of bacterial infections. The aim of this study was to detect the recombination events in the genomes of Litunavirus phages infecting Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and present their impact on phylogenetic relations within this phage group. The phylogenetic analyses involved: the whole-genome, core-genome (Schitoviridae conserved genes), variable genome region, and the whole-genome minus variable region. Interestingly, the recombination events taking place in the putative host recognition region (tail fibre protein gene and the adjacent downstream gene) significantly influenced tree topology, suggesting a strong phylogenetic signal. Our results indicate the recombination between phages from two genera Litunavirus and Luzeptimavirus and demonstrate its influence on phage phylogeny.
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16
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MDR Pumps as Crossroads of Resistance: Antibiotics and Bacteriophages. Antibiotics (Basel) 2022; 11:antibiotics11060734. [PMID: 35740141 PMCID: PMC9220107 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11060734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2022] [Revised: 05/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
At present, antibiotic resistance represents a global problem in modern medicine. In the near future, humanity may face a situation where medicine will be powerless against resistant bacteria and a post-antibiotic era will come. The development of new antibiotics is either very expensive or ineffective due to rapidly developing bacterial resistance. The need to develop alternative approaches to the treatment of bacterial infections, such as phage therapy, is beyond doubt. The cornerstone of bacterial defense against antibiotics are multidrug resistance (MDR) pumps, which are involved in antibiotic resistance, toxin export, biofilm, and persister cell formation. MDR pumps are the primary non-specific defense of bacteria against antibiotics, while drug target modification, drug inactivation, target switching, and target sequestration are the second, specific line of their defense. All bacteria have MDR pumps, and bacteriophages have evolved along with them and use the bacteria’s need for MDR pumps to bind and penetrate into bacterial cells. The study and understanding of the mechanisms of the pumps and their contribution to the overall resistance and to the sensitivity to bacteriophages will allow us to either seriously delay the onset of the post-antibiotic era or even prevent it altogether due to phage-antibiotic synergy.
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17
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Host-Associated Phages Disperse across the Extraterrestrial Analogue Antarctica. Appl Environ Microbiol 2022; 88:e0031522. [PMID: 35499326 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00315-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Extreme Antarctic conditions provide one of the closest analogues of extraterrestrial environments. Since air and snow samples, especially from polar regions, yield DNA amounts in the lower picogram range, binning of prokaryotic genomes is challenging and renders studying the dispersal of biological entities across these environments difficult. Here, we hypothesized that dispersal of host-associated bacteriophages (adsorbed, replicating, or prophages) across the Antarctic continent can be tracked via their genetic signatures, aiding our understanding of virus and host dispersal across long distances. Phage genome fragments (PGFs) reconstructed from surface snow metagenomes of three Antarctic stations were assigned to four host genomes, mainly Betaproteobacteria, including Ralstonia spp. We reconstructed the complete genome of a temperate phage with nearly complete alignment to a prophage in the reference genome of Ralstonia pickettii 12D. PGFs from different stations were related to each other at the genus level and matched similar hosts. Metagenomic read mapping and nucleotide polymorphism analysis revealed a wide dispersal of highly identical PGFs, 13 of which were detected in seawater from the Western Antarctic Peninsula at a distance of 5,338 km from the snow sampling stations. Our results suggest that host-associated phages, especially of Ralstonia sp., disperse over long distances despite the harsh conditions of the Antarctic continent. Given that 14 phages associated with two R. pickettii draft genomes isolated from space equipment were identified, we conclude that Ralstonia phages are ideal mobile genetic elements to track dispersal and contamination in ecosystems relevant for astrobiology. IMPORTANCE Host-associated phages of the bacterium Ralstonia identified in snow samples can be used to track microbial dispersal over thousands of kilometers across the Antarctic continent, which functions as an extraterrestrial analogue because of its harsh environmental conditions. Due to the presence of these bacteria carrying genome-integrated prophages on space-related equipment and the potential for dispersal of host-associated phages demonstrated here, our work has implications for planetary protection, a discipline in astrobiology interested in preventing contamination of celestial bodies with alien biomolecules or forms of life.
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18
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Abstract
The microbial communities in animal digestive systems are critical for host development and health. They stimulate the immune system during development, synthesize important chemical compounds like hormones, aid in digestion, competitively exclude pathogens, etc. Compared to the bacterial and fungal components of the microbiome, we know little about the temporal and spatial dynamics of bacteriophage communities in animal digestive systems. Recently, the bacteriophages of the honey bee gut were characterized in two European bee populations. Most of the bacteriophages described in these two reports were novel, harbored many metabolic genes in their genomes, and had a community structure that suggests coevolution with their bacterial hosts. To describe the conservation of bacteriophages in bees and begin to understand their role in the bee microbiome, we sequenced the virome of Apis mellifera from Austin, TX, and compared bacteriophage compositions among three locations around the world. We found that most bacteriophages from Austin are novel, sharing no sequence similarity with anything in public repositories. However, many bacteriophages are shared among the three bee viromes, indicating specialization of bacteriophages in the bee gut. Our study, along with the two previous bee virome studies, shows that the bee gut bacteriophage community is simple compared to that of many animals, consisting of several hundred types of bacteriophages that primarily infect four of the dominant bacterial phylotypes in the bee gut. IMPORTANCE Viruses that infect bacteria (bacteriophages) are abundant in the microbial communities that live on and in plants and animals. However, our knowledge of the structure, dynamics, and function of these viral communities lags far behind our knowledge of their bacterial hosts. We sequenced the first bacteriophage community of honey bees from the United States and compared the U.S. honey bee bacteriophage community to those of samples from Europe. Our work is an important characterization of an economically critical insect species and shows how bacteriophage communities can contain highly conserved individuals and be highly variable in composition across a wide geographic range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor J. Busby
- Global Disease Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Craig R. Miller
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idahogrid.266456.5, Moscow, Idaho, USA
- Institute for Modeling Collaboration and Innovation, University of Idahogrid.266456.5, Moscow, Idaho, USA
| | - Nancy A. Moran
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - James T. Van Leuven
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idahogrid.266456.5, Moscow, Idaho, USA
- Institute for Modeling Collaboration and Innovation, University of Idahogrid.266456.5, Moscow, Idaho, USA
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19
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Busi SB, Bourquin M, Fodelianakis S, Michoud G, Kohler TJ, Peter H, Pramateftaki P, Styllas M, Tolosano M, De Staercke V, Schön M, de Nies L, Marasco R, Daffonchio D, Ezzat L, Wilmes P, Battin TJ. Genomic and metabolic adaptations of biofilms to ecological windows of opportunity in glacier-fed streams. Nat Commun 2022; 13:2168. [PMID: 35444202 PMCID: PMC9021309 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29914-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
In glacier-fed streams, ecological windows of opportunity allow complex microbial biofilms to develop and transiently form the basis of the food web, thereby controlling key ecosystem processes. Using metagenome-assembled genomes, we unravel strategies that allow biofilms to seize this opportunity in an ecosystem otherwise characterized by harsh environmental conditions. We observe a diverse microbiome spanning the entire tree of life including a rich virome. Various co-existing energy acquisition pathways point to diverse niches and the exploitation of available resources, likely fostering the establishment of complex biofilms during windows of opportunity. The wide occurrence of rhodopsins, besides chlorophyll, highlights the role of solar energy capture in these biofilms while internal carbon and nutrient cycling between photoautotrophs and heterotrophs may help overcome constraints imposed by oligotrophy in these habitats. Mechanisms potentially protecting bacteria against low temperatures and high UV-radiation are also revealed and the selective pressure of this environment is further highlighted by a phylogenomic analysis differentiating important components of the glacier-fed stream microbiome from other ecosystems. Our findings reveal key genomic underpinnings of adaptive traits contributing to the success of complex biofilms to exploit environmental opportunities in glacier-fed streams, which are now rapidly changing owing to global warming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susheel Bhanu Busi
- Systems Ecology Group, Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Massimo Bourquin
- River Ecosystems Laboratory, Center for Alpine and Polar Environmental Research (ALPOLE), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Stilianos Fodelianakis
- River Ecosystems Laboratory, Center for Alpine and Polar Environmental Research (ALPOLE), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Grégoire Michoud
- River Ecosystems Laboratory, Center for Alpine and Polar Environmental Research (ALPOLE), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Tyler J Kohler
- River Ecosystems Laboratory, Center for Alpine and Polar Environmental Research (ALPOLE), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Hannes Peter
- River Ecosystems Laboratory, Center for Alpine and Polar Environmental Research (ALPOLE), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Paraskevi Pramateftaki
- River Ecosystems Laboratory, Center for Alpine and Polar Environmental Research (ALPOLE), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Michail Styllas
- River Ecosystems Laboratory, Center for Alpine and Polar Environmental Research (ALPOLE), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Matteo Tolosano
- River Ecosystems Laboratory, Center for Alpine and Polar Environmental Research (ALPOLE), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Vincent De Staercke
- River Ecosystems Laboratory, Center for Alpine and Polar Environmental Research (ALPOLE), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Martina Schön
- River Ecosystems Laboratory, Center for Alpine and Polar Environmental Research (ALPOLE), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Laura de Nies
- Systems Ecology Group, Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Ramona Marasco
- Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Daniele Daffonchio
- Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Leïla Ezzat
- River Ecosystems Laboratory, Center for Alpine and Polar Environmental Research (ALPOLE), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Paul Wilmes
- Systems Ecology Group, Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg. .,Department of Life Sciences and Medicine, Faculty of Science, Technology and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg.
| | - Tom J Battin
- River Ecosystems Laboratory, Center for Alpine and Polar Environmental Research (ALPOLE), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.
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20
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Kauffman KM, Chang WK, Brown JM, Hussain FA, Yang J, Polz MF, Kelly L. Resolving the structure of phage-bacteria interactions in the context of natural diversity. Nat Commun 2022; 13:372. [PMID: 35042853 PMCID: PMC8766483 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-27583-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbial communities are shaped by viral predators. Yet, resolving which viruses (phages) and bacteria are interacting is a major challenge in the context of natural levels of microbial diversity. Thus, fundamental features of how phage-bacteria interactions are structured and evolve in the wild remain poorly resolved. Here we use large-scale isolation of environmental marine Vibrio bacteria and their phages to obtain estimates of strain-level phage predator loads, and use all-by-all host range assays to discover how phage and host genomic diversity shape interactions. We show that lytic interactions in environmental interaction networks (as observed in agar overlay) are sparse-with phage predator loads being low for most bacterial strains, and phages being host-strain-specific. Paradoxically, we also find that although overlap in killing is generally rare between tailed phages, recombination is common. Together, these results suggest that recombination during cryptic co-infections is an important mode of phage evolution in microbial communities. In the development of phages for bioengineering and therapeutics it is important to consider that nucleic acids of introduced phages may spread into local phage populations through recombination, and that the likelihood of transfer is not predictable based on lytic host range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn M Kauffman
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
- Department of Oral Biology, The University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, 14214, USA
| | - William K Chang
- Department of Systems and Computational Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - Julia M Brown
- Department of Systems and Computational Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
- Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, East Boothbay, ME, 04544, USA
| | - Fatima A Hussain
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Joy Yang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Martin F Polz
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
- Division of Microbial Ecology, Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Libusha Kelly
- Department of Systems and Computational Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA.
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA.
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21
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Shapiro JW, Putonti C. Rephine.r: a pipeline for correcting gene calls and clusters to improve phage pangenomes and phylogenies. PeerJ 2021; 9:e11950. [PMID: 34434663 PMCID: PMC8351571 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.11950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Background A pangenome is the collection of all genes found in a set of related genomes. For microbes, these genomes are often different strains of the same species, and the pangenome offers a means to compare gene content variation with differences in phenotypes, ecology, and phylogenetic relatedness. Though most frequently applied to bacteria, there is growing interest in adapting pangenome analysis to bacteriophages. However, working with phage genomes presents new challenges. First, most phage families are under-sampled, and homologous genes in related viruses can be difficult to identify. Second, homing endonucleases and intron-like sequences may be present, resulting in fragmented gene calls. Each of these issues can reduce the accuracy of standard pangenome analysis tools. Methods We developed an R pipeline called Rephine.r that takes as input the gene clusters produced by an initial pangenomics workflow. Rephine.r then proceeds in two primary steps. First, it identifies three common causes of fragmented gene calls: (1) indels creating early stop codons and new start codons; (2) interruption by a selfish genetic element; and (3) splitting at the ends of the reported genome. Fragmented genes are then fused to create new sequence alignments. In tandem, Rephine.r searches for distant homologs separated into different gene families using Hidden Markov Models. Significant hits are used to merge families into larger clusters. A final round of fragment identification is then run, and results may be used to infer single-copy core genomes and phylogenetic trees. Results We applied Rephine.r to three well-studied phage groups: the Tevenvirinae (e.g., T4), the Studiervirinae (e.g., T7), and the Pbunaviruses (e.g., PB1). In each case, Rephine.r recovered additional members of the single-copy core genome and increased the overall bootstrap support of the phylogeny. The Rephine.r pipeline is provided through GitHub (https://www.github.com/coevoeco/Rephine.r) as a single script for automated analysis and with utility functions to assist in building single-copy core genomes and predicting the sources of fragmented genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason W Shapiro
- Department of Biology, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States of America
| | - Catherine Putonti
- Department of Biology, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States of America.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL, United States of America.,Bioinformatics Program, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States of America
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22
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Chevallereau A, Pons BJ, van Houte S, Westra ER. Interactions between bacterial and phage communities in natural environments. Nat Rev Microbiol 2021; 20:49-62. [PMID: 34373631 DOI: 10.1038/s41579-021-00602-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 128] [Impact Index Per Article: 42.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
We commonly acknowledge that bacterial viruses (phages) shape the composition and evolution of bacterial communities in nature and therefore have important roles in ecosystem functioning. This view stems from studies in the 1990s to the first decade of the twenty-first century that revealed high viral abundance, high viral diversity and virus-induced microbial death in aquatic ecosystems as well as an association between collapses in bacterial density and peaks in phage abundance. The recent surge in metagenomic analyses has provided deeper insight into the abundance, genomic diversity and spatio-temporal dynamics of phages in a wide variety of ecosystems, ranging from deep oceans to soil and the mammalian digestive tract. However, the causes and consequences of variations in phage community compositions remain poorly understood. In this Review, we explore current knowledge of the composition and evolution of phage communities, as well as their roles in controlling the population and evolutionary dynamics of bacterial communities. We discuss the need for greater ecological realism in laboratory studies to capture the complexity of microbial communities that thrive in natural environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Chevallereau
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK. .,Department of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, Institut Cochin, INSERM U1016, CNRS UMR8104, Université de Paris, Paris, France.
| | - Benoît J Pons
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Stineke van Houte
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Edze R Westra
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK.
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23
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Boyd CM, Angermeyer A, Hays SG, Barth ZK, Patel KM, Seed KD. Bacteriophage ICP1: A Persistent Predator of Vibrio cholerae. Annu Rev Virol 2021; 8:285-304. [PMID: 34314595 PMCID: PMC9040626 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-virology-091919-072020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Bacteriophages or phages—viruses of bacteria—are abundant and considered to be highly diverse. Interestingly, a particular group of lytic Vibrio cholerae–specific phages (vibriophages) of the International Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh cholera phage 1 (ICP1) lineage show high levels of genome conservation over large spans of time and geography, despite a constant coevolutionary arms race with their host. From a collection of 67 sequenced ICP1 isolates, mostly from clinical samples, we find these phages have mosaic genomes consisting of large, conserved modules disrupted by variable sequences that likely evolve mostly through mobile endonuclease-mediated recombination during coinfection. Several variable regions have been associated with adaptations against antiphage elements in V. cholerae; notably, this includes ICP1’s CRISPR-Cas system. The ongoing association of ICP1 and V. cholerae in cholera-endemic regions makes this system a rich source for discovery of novel defense and counterdefense strategies in bacteria-phage conflicts in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline M Boyd
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA;
| | - Angus Angermeyer
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA;
| | - Stephanie G Hays
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA;
| | - Zachary K Barth
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA;
| | - Kishen M Patel
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA;
| | - Kimberley D Seed
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA; .,Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, California 94158, USA
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24
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Zhong ZP, Tian F, Roux S, Gazitúa MC, Solonenko NE, Li YF, Davis ME, Van Etten JL, Mosley-Thompson E, Rich VI, Sullivan MB, Thompson LG. Glacier ice archives nearly 15,000-year-old microbes and phages. MICROBIOME 2021; 9:160. [PMID: 34281625 PMCID: PMC8290583 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-021-01106-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Glacier ice archives information, including microbiology, that helps reveal paleoclimate histories and predict future climate change. Though glacier-ice microbes are studied using culture or amplicon approaches, more challenging metagenomic approaches, which provide access to functional, genome-resolved information and viruses, are under-utilized, partly due to low biomass and potential contamination. RESULTS We expand existing clean sampling procedures using controlled artificial ice-core experiments and adapted previously established low-biomass metagenomic approaches to study glacier-ice viruses. Controlled sampling experiments drastically reduced mock contaminants including bacteria, viruses, and free DNA to background levels. Amplicon sequencing from eight depths of two Tibetan Plateau ice cores revealed common glacier-ice lineages including Janthinobacterium, Polaromonas, Herminiimonas, Flavobacterium, Sphingomonas, and Methylobacterium as the dominant genera, while microbial communities were significantly different between two ice cores, associating with different climate conditions during deposition. Separately, ~355- and ~14,400-year-old ice were subject to viral enrichment and low-input quantitative sequencing, yielding genomic sequences for 33 vOTUs. These were virtually all unique to this study, representing 28 novel genera and not a single species shared with 225 environmentally diverse viromes. Further, 42.4% of the vOTUs were identifiable temperate, which is significantly higher than that in gut, soil, and marine viromes, and indicates that temperate phages are possibly favored in glacier-ice environments before being frozen. In silico host predictions linked 18 vOTUs to co-occurring abundant bacteria (Methylobacterium, Sphingomonas, and Janthinobacterium), indicating that these phages infected ice-abundant bacterial groups before being archived. Functional genome annotation revealed four virus-encoded auxiliary metabolic genes, particularly two motility genes suggest viruses potentially facilitate nutrient acquisition for their hosts. Finally, given their possible importance to methane cycling in ice, we focused on Methylobacterium viruses by contextualizing our ice-observed viruses against 123 viromes and prophages extracted from 131 Methylobacterium genomes, revealing that the archived viruses might originate from soil or plants. CONCLUSIONS Together, these efforts further microbial and viral sampling procedures for glacier ice and provide a first window into viral communities and functions in ancient glacier environments. Such methods and datasets can potentially enable researchers to contextualize new discoveries and begin to incorporate glacier-ice microbes and their viruses relative to past and present climate change in geographically diverse regions globally. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi-Ping Zhong
- Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
- Center of Microbiome Science, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Funing Tian
- Department of Microbiology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
- Center of Microbiome Science, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Simon Roux
- Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | | | - Natalie E Solonenko
- Department of Microbiology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
- Center of Microbiome Science, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Yueh-Fen Li
- Department of Microbiology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
- Center of Microbiome Science, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Mary E Davis
- Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - James L Van Etten
- Department of Plant Pathology and Nebraska Center for Virology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Ellen Mosley-Thompson
- Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
- Center of Microbiome Science, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
- Department of Geography, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Virginia I Rich
- Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
- Center of Microbiome Science, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Matthew B Sullivan
- Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
- Department of Microbiology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
- Center of Microbiome Science, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Geodetic Engineering, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
| | - Lonnie G Thompson
- Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
- Center of Microbiome Science, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
- School of Earth Sciences, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
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25
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Tisza MJ, Buck CB. A catalog of tens of thousands of viruses from human metagenomes reveals hidden associations with chronic diseases. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2023202118. [PMID: 34083435 PMCID: PMC8201803 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2023202118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite remarkable strides in microbiome research, the viral component of the microbiome has generally presented a more challenging target than the bacteriome. This gap persists, even though many thousands of shotgun sequencing runs from human metagenomic samples exist in public databases, and all of them encompass large amounts of viral sequence data. The lack of a comprehensive database for human-associated viruses has historically stymied efforts to interrogate the impact of the virome on human health. This study probes thousands of datasets to uncover sequences from over 45,000 unique virus taxa, with historically high per-genome completeness. Large publicly available case-control studies are reanalyzed, and over 2,200 strong virus-disease associations are found.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Tisza
- Laboratory of Cellular Oncology, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Christopher B Buck
- Laboratory of Cellular Oncology, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892
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26
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Sommers P, Chatterjee A, Varsani A, Trubl G. Integrating Viral Metagenomics into an Ecological Framework. Annu Rev Virol 2021; 8:133-158. [PMID: 34033501 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-virology-010421-053015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Viral metagenomics has expanded our knowledge of the ecology of uncultured viruses, within both environmental (e.g., terrestrial and aquatic) and host-associated (e.g., plants and animals, including humans) contexts. Here, we emphasize the implementation of an ecological framework in viral metagenomic studies to address questions in virology rarely considered ecological, which can change our perception of viruses and how they interact with their surroundings. An ecological framework explicitly considers diverse variants of viruses in populations that make up communities of interacting viruses, with ecosystem-level effects. It provides a structure for the study of the diversity, distributions, dynamics, and interactions of viruses with one another, hosts, and the ecosystem, including interactions with abiotic factors. An ecological framework in viral metagenomics stands poised to broadly expand our knowledge in basic and applied virology. We highlight specific fundamental research needs to capitalize on its potential and advance the field. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Virology, Volume 8 is September 2021. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pacifica Sommers
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA.,These authors contributed equally to this article
| | - Anushila Chatterjee
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA.,These authors contributed equally to this article
| | - Arvind Varsani
- The Biodesign Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, Center for Evolution and Medicine, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, USA; .,Structural Biology Research Unit, Department of Integrative Biomedical Sciences, University of Cape Town, Observatory 7925, South Africa
| | - Gareth Trubl
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA
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27
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Sommers P, Porazinska DL, Darcy JL, Gendron EMS, Vimercati L, Solon AJ, Schmidt SK. Microbial Species-Area Relationships in Antarctic Cryoconite Holes Depend on Productivity. Microorganisms 2020; 8:E1747. [PMID: 33171740 PMCID: PMC7694949 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8111747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Revised: 10/31/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The island species-area relationship (ISAR) is a positive association between the number of species and the area of an isolated, island-like habitat. ISARs are ubiquitous across domains of life, yet the processes generating ISARs remain poorly understood, particularly for microbes. Larger and more productive islands are hypothesized to have more species because they support larger populations of each species and thus reduce the probability of stochastic extinctions in small population sizes. Here, we disentangled the effects of "island" size and productivity on the ISAR of Antarctic cryoconite holes. We compared the species richness of bacteria and microbial eukaryotes on two glaciers that differ in their productivity across varying hole sizes. We found that cryoconite holes on the more productive Canada Glacier gained more species with increasing hole area than holes on the less productive Taylor Glacier. Within each glacier, neither productivity nor community evenness explained additional variation in the ISAR. Our results are, therefore, consistent with productivity shaping microbial ISARs at broad scales. More comparisons of microbial ISARs across environments with limited confounding factors, such as cryoconite holes, and experimental manipulations within these systems will further contribute to our understanding of the processes shaping microbial biogeography.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pacifica Sommers
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA; (L.V.); (A.J.S.); (S.K.S.)
| | - Dorota L. Porazinska
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; (D.L.P.); (E.M.S.G.)
| | - John L. Darcy
- Division of Biomedical Informatics and Personalized Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA;
| | - Eli M. S. Gendron
- Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; (D.L.P.); (E.M.S.G.)
| | - Lara Vimercati
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA; (L.V.); (A.J.S.); (S.K.S.)
| | - Adam J. Solon
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA; (L.V.); (A.J.S.); (S.K.S.)
| | - Steven K. Schmidt
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA; (L.V.); (A.J.S.); (S.K.S.)
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28
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Girard C, Langlois V, Vigneron A, Vincent WF, Culley AI. Seasonal Regime Shift in the Viral Communities of a Permafrost Thaw Lake. Viruses 2020; 12:v12111204. [PMID: 33105728 PMCID: PMC7690404 DOI: 10.3390/v12111204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Permafrost thaw lakes including thermokarst lakes and ponds are ubiquitous features of Subarctic and Arctic landscapes and are hotspots of microbial activity. Input of terrestrial organic matter into the planktonic microbial loop of these lakes may greatly amplify global greenhouse gas emissions. This microbial loop, dominated in the summer by aerobic microorganisms including phototrophs, is radically different in the winter, when metabolic processes shift to the anaerobic degradation of organic matter. Little is known about the viruses that infect these microbes, despite evidence that viruses can control microbial populations and influence biogeochemical cycling in other systems. Here, we present the results of a metagenomics-based study of viruses in the larger than 0.22 µm fraction across two seasons (summer and winter) in a permafrost thaw lake in Subarctic Canada. We uncovered 351 viral populations (vOTUs) in the surface waters of this lake, with diversity significantly greater during the summer. We also identified and characterized several phage genomes and prophages, which were mostly present in the summer. Finally, we compared the viral community of this waterbody to other habitats and found unexpected similarities with distant bog lakes in North America.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Girard
- Département de Biochimie, de Microbiologie et de Bio-Informatique, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada; (C.G.); (V.L.)
- Centre d’études Nordiques (CEN), Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada; (A.V.); (W.F.V.)
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
- Takuvik Joint International Laboratory, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Valérie Langlois
- Département de Biochimie, de Microbiologie et de Bio-Informatique, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada; (C.G.); (V.L.)
- Centre d’études Nordiques (CEN), Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada; (A.V.); (W.F.V.)
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
- Takuvik Joint International Laboratory, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Adrien Vigneron
- Centre d’études Nordiques (CEN), Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada; (A.V.); (W.F.V.)
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
- Takuvik Joint International Laboratory, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
- Département de Biologie, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Warwick F. Vincent
- Centre d’études Nordiques (CEN), Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada; (A.V.); (W.F.V.)
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
- Takuvik Joint International Laboratory, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
- Département de Biologie, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Alexander I. Culley
- Département de Biochimie, de Microbiologie et de Bio-Informatique, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada; (C.G.); (V.L.)
- Centre d’études Nordiques (CEN), Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada; (A.V.); (W.F.V.)
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
- Takuvik Joint International Laboratory, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
- Correspondence:
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