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Arce M, Venegas G, Paez K, Latz S, Navarrete P, Caruffo M, Feijoo C, García K, Bastías R. Valp1, a Newly Identified Temperate Phage Facilitating Coexistence of Lysogenic and Non-Lysogenic Populations of Vibrio anguillarum. Pathogens 2024; 13:285. [PMID: 38668240 PMCID: PMC11054321 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens13040285] [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: 02/14/2024] [Revised: 03/23/2024] [Accepted: 03/24/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Vibrio anguillarum is a pathogen for several fish and shellfish species. Its ecology is influenced by diverse factors, including bacteriophages. Here, we identify and characterize a new temperate bacteriophage (Valp1) of V. anguillarum. Valp1 is a myovirus with a 60 nm head and a 90 nm contractile tail. Its double-stranded DNA genome of 42,988 bp contains 68 genes, including a protelomerase gene, typical of telomeric phages. Valp1 inhibits the growth of the virulent strain of V. anguillarum PF4, while the derived lysogenic strain P1.1 presents a slight reduction in its growth but is not affected by the presence of Valp1. Both strains present similar virulence in a larval zebrafish (Danio rerio) model, and only slight differences have been observed in their biochemical profile. Co-culture assays reveal that PF4 and P1.1 can coexist for 10 h in the presence of naturally induced Valp1, with the proportion of PF4 ranging between 28% and 1.6%. By the end of the assay, the phage reached a concentration of ~108 PFU/mL, and all the non-lysogenic PF4 strains were resistant to Valp1. This equilibrium was maintained even after five successive subcultures, suggesting the existence of a coexistence mechanism between the lysogenic and non-lysogenic populations of V. anguillarum in conjunction with the phage Valp1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Arce
- Instituto de Biología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso 2340000, Chile; (M.A.)
| | - Guillermo Venegas
- Instituto de Biología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso 2340000, Chile; (M.A.)
| | - Karla Paez
- Instituto de Biología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso 2340000, Chile; (M.A.)
| | - Simone Latz
- Instituto de Biología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso 2340000, Chile; (M.A.)
| | - Paola Navarrete
- Laboratory of Microbiology and Probiotics, Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology (INTA), University of Chile, Santiago 7830490, Chile
| | - Mario Caruffo
- Laboratory of Microbiology and Probiotics, Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology (INTA), University of Chile, Santiago 7830490, Chile
- Center for Research and Innovation in Aquaculture (CRIA), Universidad de Chile, Santiago 8820000, Chile
| | - Carmen Feijoo
- Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago 8370146, Chile
| | - Katherine García
- Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Santiago 8910060, Chile
| | - Roberto Bastías
- Instituto de Biología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso 2340000, Chile; (M.A.)
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Li Y, Yun H, Chen R, Jiao N, Zheng Q, Yang Y, Zhang R. Characterization of a Vibriophage Infecting Pathogenic Vibrio harveyi. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:16202. [PMID: 38003392 PMCID: PMC10671443 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242216202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2023] [Revised: 11/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial diseases caused by Vibrio spp. are prevalent in aquaculture and can lead to high mortality rates among aquatic species and significant economic losses. With the increasing emergence of multidrug-resistant Vibrio strains, phage therapy is being explored as a potential alternative to antibiotics for biocontrol of infectious diseases. Here, a new lytic phage named vB_VhaS_R21Y (R21Y) was isolated against Vibrio harveyi BVH1 obtained from seawater from a scallop-farming area in Rongcheng, China. Its morphology, infection cycle, lytic profile, phage stability, and genetic features were characterized. Transmission electronic microscopy indicated that R21Y is siphovirus-like, comprising an icosahedral head (diameter 73.31 ± 2.09 nm) and long noncontractile tail (205.55 ± 0.75 nm). In a one-step growth experiment, R21Y had a 40-min latent period and a burst size of 35 phage particles per infected cell. R21Y was highly species-specific in the host range test and was relatively stable at pH 4-10 and 4-55 °C. Genomic analysis showed that R21Y is a double-stranded DNA virus with a genome size of 82,795 bp and GC content of 47.48%. Its high tolerance and lytic activity indicated that R21Y may be a candidate for phage therapy in controlling vibriosis in aquacultural systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingying Li
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China; (Y.L.); (H.Y.); (R.C.); (N.J.); (Q.Z.)
- Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518061, China
| | - Huayi Yun
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China; (Y.L.); (H.Y.); (R.C.); (N.J.); (Q.Z.)
| | - Ruo Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China; (Y.L.); (H.Y.); (R.C.); (N.J.); (Q.Z.)
- Marine Biological Section, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, 3000 Helsingør, Denmark
| | - Nianzhi Jiao
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China; (Y.L.); (H.Y.); (R.C.); (N.J.); (Q.Z.)
| | - Qiang Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China; (Y.L.); (H.Y.); (R.C.); (N.J.); (Q.Z.)
| | - Yunlan Yang
- Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518061, China
| | - Rui Zhang
- Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518061, China
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Li X, Wang X, Li R, Zhang W, Wang L, Yan B, Zhu T, Xu Y, Tan D. Characterization of a Filamentous Phage, Vaf1, from Vibrio alginolyticus AP-1. Appl Environ Microbiol 2023; 89:e0052023. [PMID: 37255423 PMCID: PMC10304664 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00520-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Filamentous phages are ubiquitously distributed in the global oceans. However, little is known about their biological contribution to their host's genetic and phenotypic diversity. In this study, a filamentous phage, Vaf1, was isolated and characterized from the emerging marine pathogen strain Vibrio alginolyticus AP-1. We explored the effects of the resident phage Vaf1 on the host physiology under diverse conditions by precisely deleting the entire phage Vaf1. Our results demonstrate that the presence of phage Vaf1 significantly increased biofilm formation, swarming motility, and contact-dependent competition. Furthermore, the gene expression profile suggests that several phage genes were upregulated in response to low-nutrient conditions. Unexpectedly, an in vivo study of zebrafish shows that fish infected with strain ΔVaf1 survived longer than those infected with wild-type strain AP-1, indicating that Vaf1 contributes to the virulence of V. alginolyticus. Together, our results provide direct evidence for the effect of Vaf1 phage-mediated phenotypic changes in marine bacteria V. alginolyticus. This further emphasizes the impressive complexity and diversity that filamentous phage-host interactions pose and the challenges associated with bacterial disease control in marine aquaculture. IMPORTANCE Non-lytic filamentous phages can replicate without killing their host, establishing long-term persistence within the bacterial host. In contrast to the well-studied CTXφ phage of the human-pathogenic Vibrio cholerae, little is known about the filamentous phage Vaf1 and its biological role in host fitness. In this study, we constructed a filamentous phage-deleted strain, ΔVaf1, and provided direct evidence on how an intact phage, φVaf1, belonging to the family Inoviridae, helps the bacterial host AP-1 to overcome adverse environmental conditions. Our results likely open new avenues for fundamental studies on how filamentous phage-host interactions regulate different aspects of Vibrio cell behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyu Li
- School of Bioengineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China
| | - Xiao Wang
- School of Bioengineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China
| | - Ruoyu Li
- School of Bioengineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China
| | - Wan Zhang
- School of Bioengineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China
| | - Lili Wang
- School of Bioengineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China
| | - Bo Yan
- Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Tongyu Zhu
- Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yongping Xu
- School of Bioengineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China
| | - Demeng Tan
- Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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Stabili L, Di Salvo M, Alifano P, Talà A. An Integrative, Multiparametric Approach for the Comprehensive Assessment of Microbial Quality and Pollution in Aquaculture Systems. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2022; 83:271-283. [PMID: 33948706 PMCID: PMC8891192 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-021-01731-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
As the aquaculture sector significantly expanded worldwide in the past decades, the concept of sustainable aquaculture has developed with the challenge of not only maximizing benefits but also minimizing the negative impacts on the environment assuring, at the same time, food security. In this framework, monitoring and improving the microbiological water quality and animal health are a central topic. In the present study, we evaluated the seawater microbiological quality in a mariculture system located in a Mediterranean coastal area (Northern Ionian Sea, Italy). We furnished, for the first time, a microbial inventory based on conventional culture-based methods, integrated with the 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding approach for vibrios identification and diversity analyses, and further implemented with microbial metabolic profiling data obtained from the Biolog EcoPlate system. Microbiological pollution indicators, vibrios diversity, and microbial metabolism were determined in two different times of the year (July and December). All microbial parameters measured in July were markedly increased compared to those measured in December. The presence of potentially pathogenic vibrios is discussed concerning the risk of fish disease and human infections. Thus, the microbial inventory here proposed might represent a new multiparametric approach for the suitable surveillance of the microbial quality in a mariculture system. Consequently, it could be useful for ensuring the safety of both the reared species and the consumers in the light of sustainable, eco-friendly aquaculture management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loredana Stabili
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, Lecce, Italy.
- Water Research Institute of the National Research Council, (IRSA-CNR), Taranto, Italy.
| | - Marco Di Salvo
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, Lecce, Italy
| | - Pietro Alifano
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, Lecce, Italy
| | - Adelfia Talà
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, Lecce, Italy
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Nuidate T, Kuaphiriyakul A, Surachat K, Mittraparp-arthorn P. Induction and Genome Analysis of HY01, a Newly Reported Prophage from an Emerging Shrimp Pathogen Vibrio campbellii. Microorganisms 2021; 9:400. [PMID: 33671959 PMCID: PMC7919010 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9020400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2020] [Revised: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Vibrio campbellii is an emerging aquaculture pathogen that causes luminous vibriosis in farmed shrimp. Although prophages in various aquaculture pathogens have been widely reported, there is still limited knowledge regarding prophages in the genome of pathogenic V. campbellii. Here, we describe the full-genome sequence of a prophage named HY01, induced from the emerging shrimp pathogen V. campbellii HY01. The phage HY01 was induced by mitomycin C and was morphologically characterized as long tailed phage. V. campbellii phage HY01 is composed of 41,772 bp of dsDNA with a G+C content of 47.45%. A total of 60 open reading frames (ORFs) were identified, of which 31 could be predicted for their biological functions. Twenty seven out of 31 predicted protein coding regions were matched with several encoded proteins of various Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonadaceae, Vibrionaceae, and other phages of Gram-negative bacteria. Interestingly, the comparative genome analysis revealed that the phage HY01 was only distantly related to Vibrio phage Va_PF430-3_p42 of fish pathogen V. anguillarum but differed in genomic size and gene organization. The phylogenetic tree placed the phage together with Siphoviridae family. Additionally, a survey of Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) spacers revealed two matching sequences between phage HY01 genome and viral spacer sequence of Vibrio spp. The spacer results combined with the synteny results suggest that the evolution of V. campbellii phage HY01 is driven by the horizontal genetic exchange between bacterial families belonging to the class of Gammaproteobacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taiyeebah Nuidate
- Division of Biological Science, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla 90110, Thailand; (T.N.); (A.K.)
| | - Aphiwat Kuaphiriyakul
- Division of Biological Science, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla 90110, Thailand; (T.N.); (A.K.)
| | - Komwit Surachat
- Division of Computational Science, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla 90110, Thailand;
- Molecular Evolution and Computational Biology Research Unit, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla 90110, Thailand
| | - Pimonsri Mittraparp-arthorn
- Division of Biological Science, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla 90110, Thailand; (T.N.); (A.K.)
- Molecular Evolution and Computational Biology Research Unit, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla 90110, Thailand
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Zhang XH, He X, Austin B. Vibrio harveyi: a serious pathogen of fish and invertebrates in mariculture. MARINE LIFE SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2020; 2:231-245. [PMID: 32419972 PMCID: PMC7223180 DOI: 10.1007/s42995-020-00037-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2020] [Accepted: 02/26/2020] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Vibrio harveyi, which belongs to family Vibrionaceae of class Gammaproteobacteria, includes the species V. carchariae and V. trachuri as its junior synonyms. The organism is a well-recognized and serious bacterial pathogen of marine fish and invertebrates, including penaeid shrimp, in aquaculture. Diseased fish may exhibit a range of lesions, including eye lesions/blindness, gastro-enteritis, muscle necrosis, skin ulcers, and tail rot disease. In shrimp, V. harveyi is regarded as the etiological agent of luminous vibriosis in which affected animals glow in the dark. There is a second condition of shrimp known as Bolitas negricans where the digestive tract is filled with spheres of sloughed-off tissue. It is recognized that the pathogenicity mechanisms of V. harveyi may be different in fish and penaeid shrimp. In shrimp, the pathogenicity mechanisms involved the endotoxin lipopolysaccharide, and extracellular proteases, and interaction with bacteriophages. In fish, the pathogenicity mechanisms involved extracellular hemolysin (encoded by duplicate hemolysin genes), which was identified as a phospholipase B and could inactivate fish cells by apoptosis, via the caspase activation pathway. V. harveyi may enter the so-called viable but nonculturable (VBNC) state, and resuscitation of the VBNC cells may be an important reason for vibriosis outbreaks in aquaculture. Disease control measures center on dietary supplements (including probiotics), nonspecific immunostimulants, and vaccines and to a lesser extent antibiotics and other antimicrobial compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Hua Zhang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003 China
- Laboratory for Marine Ecology and Environmental Science, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266237 China
- Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266100 China
| | - Xinxin He
- MOE Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003 China
| | - Brian Austin
- Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA Scotland, UK
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7
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Large Phenotypic and Genetic Diversity of Prophages Induced from the Fish Pathogen Vibrio anguillarum. Viruses 2019; 11:v11110983. [PMID: 31653117 PMCID: PMC6893619 DOI: 10.3390/v11110983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2019] [Accepted: 10/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Vibrio anguillarum is a marine pathogenic bacterium that causes vibriosis in fish and shellfish. Although prophage-like sequences have been predicted in V. anguillarum strains, many are not characterized, and it is not known if they retain the functional capacity to form infectious particles that can infect and lysogenize other bacterial hosts. In this study, the genome sequences of 28 V. anguillarum strains revealed 55 different prophage-related elements. Chemical and spontaneous induction allowed a collection of 42 phage isolates, which were classified in seven different groups according to a multiplex PCR assay. One shared prophage sequence, p41 (group III), was present in 17 V. anguillarum strains, suggesting that this specific element is very dynamically exchanged among V. anguillarum populations. Interestingly, the host range of genetically identical phages was highly dependent on the strains used for proliferation, indicating that phenotypic properties of phages were partly regulated by the host. Finally, experimental evidence displayed that the induced phage ɸVa_90-11-287_p41 was able to lysogenize V. anguillarum strain Ba35, and subsequently spontaneously become released from the lysogenized cells, demonstrating an efficient transfer of the phage among V. anguillarum strains. Altogether, the results showed large genetic and functional diversity and broad distribution of prophages in V. anguillarum, and demonstrated the potential of prophages as drivers of evolution in V. anguillarum strains.
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Warwick-Dugdale J, Buchholz HH, Allen MJ, Temperton B. Host-hijacking and planktonic piracy: how phages command the microbial high seas. Virol J 2019; 16:15. [PMID: 30709355 PMCID: PMC6359870 DOI: 10.1186/s12985-019-1120-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2018] [Accepted: 01/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbial communities living in the oceans are major drivers of global biogeochemical cycles. With nutrients limited across vast swathes of the ocean, marine microbes eke out a living under constant assault from predatory viruses. Viral concentrations exceed those of their bacterial prey by an order of magnitude in surface water, making these obligate parasites the most abundant biological entities in the ocean. Like the pirates of the 17th and 18th centuries that hounded ships plying major trade and exploration routes, viruses have evolved mechanisms to hijack microbial cells and repurpose their cargo and indeed the vessels themselves to maximise viral propagation. Phenotypic reconfiguration of the host is often achieved through Auxiliary Metabolic Genes - genes originally derived from host genomes but maintained and adapted in viral genomes to redirect energy and substrates towards viral synthesis. In this review, we critically evaluate the literature describing the mechanisms used by bacteriophages to reconfigure host metabolism and to plunder intracellular resources to optimise viral production. We also highlight the mechanisms used when, in challenging environments, a 'batten down the hatches' strategy supersedes that of 'plunder and pillage'. Here, the infecting virus increases host fitness through phenotypic augmentation in order to ride out the metaphorical storm, with a concomitant impact on host substrate uptake and metabolism, and ultimately, their interactions with their wider microbial community. Thus, the traditional view of the virus-host relationship as predator and prey does not fully characterise the variety or significance of the interactions observed. Recent advances in viral metagenomics have provided a tantalising glimpse of novel mechanisms of viral metabolic reprogramming in global oceans. Incorporation of these new findings into global biogeochemical models requires experimental evidence from model systems and major improvements in our ability to accurately predict protein function from sequence data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Warwick-Dugdale
- Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, The Hoe, Plymouth, PL1 3DH, UK.,University of Exeter, Geoffrey Pope Building, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Holger H Buchholz
- University of Exeter, Geoffrey Pope Building, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Michael J Allen
- Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, The Hoe, Plymouth, PL1 3DH, UK.,University of Exeter, Geoffrey Pope Building, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Ben Temperton
- University of Exeter, Geoffrey Pope Building, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4QD, UK.
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9
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Bacteriophage Interactions with Marine Pathogenic Vibrios: Implications for Phage Therapy. Antibiotics (Basel) 2018; 7:antibiotics7010015. [PMID: 29495270 PMCID: PMC5872126 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics7010015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2018] [Revised: 02/19/2018] [Accepted: 02/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
A global distribution in marine, brackish, and freshwater ecosystems, in combination with high abundances and biomass, make vibrios key players in aquatic environments, as well as important pathogens for humans and marine animals. Incidents of Vibrio-associated diseases (vibriosis) in marine aquaculture are being increasingly reported on a global scale, due to the fast growth of the industry over the past few decades years. The administration of antibiotics has been the most commonly applied therapy used to control vibriosis outbreaks, giving rise to concerns about development and spreading of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the environment. Hence, the idea of using lytic bacteriophages as therapeutic agents against bacterial diseases has been revived during the last years. Bacteriophage therapy constitutes a promising alternative not only for treatment, but also for prevention of vibriosis in aquaculture. However, several scientific and technological challenges still need further investigation before reliable, reproducible treatments with commercial potential are available for the aquaculture industry. The potential and the challenges of phage-based alternatives to antibiotic treatment of vibriosis are addressed in this review.
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10
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Kalatzis PG, Rørbo NI, Castillo D, Mauritzen JJ, Jørgensen J, Kokkari C, Zhang F, Katharios P, Middelboe M. Stumbling across the Same Phage: Comparative Genomics of Widespread Temperate Phages Infecting the Fish Pathogen Vibrio anguillarum. Viruses 2017; 9:E122. [PMID: 28531104 PMCID: PMC5454434 DOI: 10.3390/v9050122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2017] [Revised: 05/12/2017] [Accepted: 05/12/2017] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Nineteen Vibrio anguillarum-specific temperate bacteriophages isolated across Europe and Chile from aquaculture and environmental sites were genome sequenced and analyzed for host range, morphology and life cycle characteristics. The phages were classified as Siphoviridae with genome sizes between 46,006 and 54,201 bp. All 19 phages showed high genetic similarity, and 13 phages were genetically identical. Apart from sporadically distributed single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), genetic diversifications were located in three variable regions (VR1, VR2 and VR3) in six of the phage genomes. Identification of specific genes, such as N6-adenine methyltransferase and lambda like repressor, as well as the presence of a tRNAArg, suggested a both mutualistic and parasitic interaction between phages and hosts. During short term phage exposure experiments, 28% of a V. anguillarum host population was lysogenized by the temperate phages and a genomic analysis of a collection of 31 virulent V. anguillarum showed that the isolated phages were present as prophages in >50% of the strains covering large geographical distances. Further, phage sequences were widely distributed among CRISPR-Cas arrays of publicly available sequenced Vibrios. The observed distribution of these specific temperate Vibriophages across large geographical scales may be explained by efficient dispersal of phages and bacteria in the marine environment combined with a mutualistic interaction between temperate phages and their hosts which selects for co-existence rather than arms race dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panos G Kalatzis
- Marine Biological Section, University of Copenhagen, DK-3000 Helsingør, Denmark.
- Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Crete, 71500, Greece.
| | - Nanna Iben Rørbo
- Marine Biological Section, University of Copenhagen, DK-3000 Helsingør, Denmark.
| | - Daniel Castillo
- Marine Biological Section, University of Copenhagen, DK-3000 Helsingør, Denmark.
| | | | - Jóhanna Jørgensen
- Marine Biological Section, University of Copenhagen, DK-3000 Helsingør, Denmark.
| | - Constantina Kokkari
- Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Crete, 71500, Greece.
| | - Faxing Zhang
- Beijing Genomics Institute (BGI) Park, No.21 Hongan 3rd Street, Building NO. 7, Yantian District, Shenzhen 518083, China.
| | - Pantelis Katharios
- Institute of Marine Biology, Biotechnology and Aquaculture, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Crete, 71500, Greece.
| | - Mathias Middelboe
- Marine Biological Section, University of Copenhagen, DK-3000 Helsingør, Denmark.
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11
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Abstract
Nitric oxide (NO) is a freely diffusible, radical gas that has now been established as an integral signaling molecule in eukaryotes and bacteria. It has been demonstrated that NO signaling is initiated upon ligation to the heme iron of an H-NOX domain in mammals and in some bacteria. Bacterial H-NOX proteins have been found to interact with enzymes that participate in signaling pathways and regulate bacterial processes such as quorum sensing, biofilm formation, and symbiosis. Here, we review the biochemical characterization of these signaling pathways and, where available, describe how ligation of NO to H-NOX specifically regulates the activity of these pathways and their associated bacterial phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa-Marie Nisbett
- Graduate Program in Biochemistry and Structural Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794-3400
| | - Elizabeth M. Boon
- Department of Chemistry, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794-3400
- Institute of Chemical Biology & Drug Discovery, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794-3400
- Graduate Program in Biochemistry and Structural Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794-3400
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12
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Johnson CN. Fitness factors in vibrios: a mini-review. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2013; 65:826-851. [PMID: 23306394 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-012-0168-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2012] [Accepted: 12/13/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Vibrios are Gram-negative curved bacilli that occur naturally in marine, estuarine, and freshwater systems. Some species include human and animal pathogens, and some vibrios are necessary for natural systems, including the carbon cycle and osmoregulation. Countless in vivo and in vitro studies have examined the interactions between vibrios and their environment, including molecules, cells, whole animals, and abiotic substrates. Many studies have characterized virulence factors, attachment factors, regulatory factors, and antimicrobial resistance factors, and most of these factors impact the organism's fitness regardless of its external environment. This review aims to identify common attributes among factors that increase fitness in various environments, regardless of whether the environment is an oyster, a rabbit, a flask of immortalized mammalian cells, or a planktonic chitin particle. This review aims to summarize findings published thus far to encapsulate some of the basic similarities among the many vibrio fitness factors and how they frame our understanding of vibrio ecology. Factors representing these similarities include hemolysins, capsular polysaccharides, flagella, proteases, attachment factors, type III secretion systems, chitin binding proteins, iron acquisition systems, and colonization factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Crystal N Johnson
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA.
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Mills S, Shanahan F, Stanton C, Hill C, Coffey A, Ross RP. Movers and shakers: influence of bacteriophages in shaping the mammalian gut microbiota. Gut Microbes 2013; 4:4-16. [PMID: 23022738 PMCID: PMC3555884 DOI: 10.4161/gmic.22371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 152] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The human intestinal microbiota is one of the most densely populated ecosystems on Earth, containing up to 10 ( 13) bacteria/g and in some respects can be considered an organ itself given its role in human health. Bacteriophages (phages) are the most abundant replicating entities on the planet and thrive wherever their bacterial hosts exist. They undoubtedly influence the dominant microbial populations in many ecosystems including the human intestine. Within this setting, lysogeny appears to be the preferred life cycle, presumably due to nutrient limitations and lack of suitable hosts protected in biofilms, hence the predator/prey dynamic observed in many ecosystems is absent. On the other hand, free virulent phages in the gut are more common among sufferers of intestinal diseases and have been shown to increase with antibiotic usage. Many of these phages evolve from prophages of intestinal bacteria and emerge under conditions where their bacterial hosts encounter stress suggesting that prophages can significantly alter the microbial community composition. Based on these observations, we propose the "community shuffling" model which hypothesizes that prophage induction contributes to intestinal dysbiosis by altering the ratio of symbionts to pathobionts, enabling pathobiont niche reoccupation. The consequences of the increased phage load on the mammalian immune system are also addressed. While this is an area of intestinal biology which has received little attention, this review assembles evidence from the literature which supports the role of phages as one of the biological drivers behind the composition of the gut microbiota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan Mills
- Teagasc Food Research Centre; Moorepark; Fermoy, County Cork, Ireland
| | - Fergus Shanahan
- Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre; University College Cork; National University of Ireland; Cork, Ireland,Department of Medicine; University College Cork; National University of Ireland; Cork, Ireland
| | - Catherine Stanton
- Teagasc Food Research Centre; Moorepark; Fermoy, County Cork, Ireland,Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre; University College Cork; National University of Ireland; Cork, Ireland
| | - Colin Hill
- Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre; University College Cork; National University of Ireland; Cork, Ireland,Department of Microbiology; University College Cork; National University of Ireland; Cork, Ireland
| | - Aidan Coffey
- Department of Biological Sciences; Cork Institute of Technology; Bishopstown, Cork, Ireland
| | - R. Paul Ross
- Teagasc Food Research Centre; Moorepark; Fermoy, County Cork, Ireland,Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre; University College Cork; National University of Ireland; Cork, Ireland,Correspondence to: R. Paul Ross,
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Guerrero-Ferreira R, Gorman C, Chavez AA, Willie S, Nishiguchi MK. Characterization of the bacterial diversity in Indo-West Pacific loliginid and sepiolid squid light organs. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2013; 65:214-26. [PMID: 22885637 PMCID: PMC3557516 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-012-0099-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2012] [Accepted: 04/07/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Loliginid and sepiolid squid light organs are known to host a variety of bacterial species from the family Vibrionaceae, yet little is known about the species diversity and characteristics among different host squids. Here we present a broad-ranging molecular and physiological analysis of the bacteria colonizing light organs in loliginid and sepiolid squids from various field locations of the Indo-West Pacific (Australia and Thailand). Our PCR-RFLP analysis, physiological characterization, carbon utilization profiling, and electron microscopy data indicate that loliginid squid in the Indo-West Pacific carry a consortium of bacterial species from the families Vibrionaceae and Photobacteriaceae. This research also confirms our previous report of the presence of Vibrio harveyi as a member of the bacterial population colonizing light organs in loliginid squid. pyrH sequence data were used to confirm isolate identity, and indicates that Vibrio and Photobacterium comprise most of the light organ colonizers of squids from Australia, confirming previous reports for Australian loliginid and sepiolid squids. In addition, combined phylogenetic analysis of PCR-RFLP and 16S rDNA data from Australian and Thai isolates associated both Photobacterium and Vibrio clades with both loliginid and sepiolid strains, providing support that geographical origin does not correlate with their relatedness. These results indicate that both loliginid and sepiolid squids demonstrate symbiont specificity (Vibrionaceae), but their distribution is more likely due to environmental factors that are present during the infection process. This study adds significantly to the growing evidence for complex and dynamic associations in nature and highlights the importance of exploring symbiotic relationships in which non-virulent strains of pathogenic Vibrio species could establish associations with marine invertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo Guerrero-Ferreira
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Clayton Gorman
- Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003-8001, USA
| | - Alba A. Chavez
- Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003-8001, USA
| | - Shantell Willie
- Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003-8001, USA
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Bochow S, Elliman J, Owens L. Bacteriophage adenine methyltransferase: a life cycle regulator? Modelled usingVibrio harveyimyovirus like. J Appl Microbiol 2012; 113:1001-13. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2672.2012.05358.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2012] [Revised: 05/27/2012] [Accepted: 05/28/2012] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- S. Bochow
- Microbiology and Immunology; James Cook University; Townsville; Qld; Australia
| | - J. Elliman
- Microbiology and Immunology; James Cook University; Townsville; Qld; Australia
| | - L. Owens
- Microbiology and Immunology; James Cook University; Townsville; Qld; Australia
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Fabbro C, Celussi M, Russell H, Del Negro P. Phenotypic and genetic diversity of coexisting Listonella anguillarum, Vibrio harveyi and Vibrio chagassi recovered from skin haemorrhages of diseased sand smelt, Atherina boyeri, in the Gulf of Trieste (NE Adriatic Sea). Lett Appl Microbiol 2012; 54:153-9. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1472-765x.2011.03188.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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17
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Thompson CC, Vicente ACP, Souza RC, Vasconcelos ATR, Vesth T, Alves N, Ussery DW, Iida T, Thompson FL. Genomic taxonomy of Vibrios. BMC Evol Biol 2009; 9:258. [PMID: 19860885 PMCID: PMC2777879 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2148-9-258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 132] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2009] [Accepted: 10/27/2009] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Vibrio taxonomy has been based on a polyphasic approach. In this study, we retrieve useful taxonomic information (i.e. data that can be used to distinguish different taxonomic levels, such as species and genera) from 32 genome sequences of different vibrio species. We use a variety of tools to explore the taxonomic relationship between the sequenced genomes, including Multilocus Sequence Analysis (MLSA), supertrees, Average Amino Acid Identity (AAI), genomic signatures, and Genome BLAST atlases. Our aim is to analyse the usefulness of these tools for species identification in vibrios. RESULTS We have generated four new genome sequences of three Vibrio species, i.e., V. alginolyticus 40B, V. harveyi-like 1DA3, and V. mimicus strains VM573 and VM603, and present a broad analyses of these genomes along with other sequenced Vibrio species. The genome atlas and pangenome plots provide a tantalizing image of the genomic differences that occur between closely related sister species, e.g. V. cholerae and V. mimicus. The vibrio pangenome contains around 26504 genes. The V. cholerae core genome and pangenome consist of 1520 and 6923 genes, respectively. Pangenomes might allow different strains of V. cholerae to occupy different niches. MLSA and supertree analyses resulted in a similar phylogenetic picture, with a clear distinction of four groups (Vibrio core group, V. cholerae-V. mimicus, Aliivibrio spp., and Photobacterium spp.). A Vibrio species is defined as a group of strains that share > 95% DNA identity in MLSA and supertree analysis, > 96% AAI, < or = 10 genome signature dissimilarity, and > 61% proteome identity. Strains of the same species and species of the same genus will form monophyletic groups on the basis of MLSA and supertree. CONCLUSION The combination of different analytical and bioinformatics tools will enable the most accurate species identification through genomic computational analysis. This endeavour will culminate in the birth of the online genomic taxonomy whereby researchers and end-users of taxonomy will be able to identify their isolates through a web-based server. This novel approach to microbial systematics will result in a tremendous advance concerning biodiversity discovery, description, and understanding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristiane C Thompson
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics of Microrganims, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Ana Carolina P Vicente
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics of Microrganims, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Rangel C Souza
- National Laboratory for Scientific Computing, Department of Applied and Computational Mathematics, Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Av. Getúlio Vargas 333, Quitandinha, 25651-070, Petropolis, RJ, Brazil
| | - Ana Tereza R Vasconcelos
- National Laboratory for Scientific Computing, Department of Applied and Computational Mathematics, Laboratory of Bioinformatics, Av. Getúlio Vargas 333, Quitandinha, 25651-070, Petropolis, RJ, Brazil
| | - Tammi Vesth
- Center for Biological Sequence Analysis, Department of Biotechnology, Building 208, The Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Nelson Alves
- Department of Genetics, Institute of Biology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, UFRJ, Brazil
| | - David W Ussery
- Center for Biological Sequence Analysis, Department of Biotechnology, Building 208, The Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Tetsuya Iida
- Laboratory of Genomic Research on Pathogenic Bacteria, International Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Fabiano L Thompson
- Department of Genetics, Institute of Biology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, UFRJ, Brazil
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The linear plasmid prophage Vp58.5 of Vibrio parahaemolyticus is closely related to the integrating phage VHML and constitutes a new incompatibility group of telomere phages. J Virol 2009; 83:9313-20. [PMID: 19587034 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00672-09] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Vibrio parahaemolyticus O3:K6 pandemic strains recovered in Chile frequently possess a 42-kb plasmid which is the prophage of a myovirus. We studied the prototype phage VP58.5 and show that it does not integrate into the host cell chromosome but replicates as a linear plasmid (Vp58.5) with covalently closed ends (telomeres). The Vp58.5 replicon coexists with other plasmid prophages (N15, PY54, and PhiKO2) in the same cell and thus belongs to a new incompatibility group of telomere phages. We determined the complete nucleotide sequence (42,612 nucleotides) of the VP58.5 phage DNA and compared it with that of the plasmid prophage. The two molecules share the same nucleotide sequence but are 35% circularly permuted to each other. In contrast to the hairpin ends of the plasmid, VP58.5 phage DNA contains 5'-protruding ends. The VP58.5 sequence is 92% identical to the sequence of phage VHML, which was reported to integrate into the host chromosome. However, the gene order and termini of the phage DNAs are different. The VHML genome exhibits the same gene order as does the Vp58.5 plasmid. VHML phage DNA has been reported to contain terminal inverted repeats. This repetitive sequence is similar to the telomere resolution site (telRL) of VP58.5 which, after processing by the phage protelomerase, forms the hairpin ends of the Vp58.5 prophage. It is discussed why these closely related phages may be so different in terms of their genome ends and their lifestyle.
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Enhancement of UV light sensitivity of a Vibrio parahaemolyticus O3:K6 pandemic strain due to natural lysogenization by a telomeric phage. Appl Environ Microbiol 2009; 75:1697-702. [PMID: 19151181 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01995-08] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The Vibrio parahaemolyticus O3:K6 pandemic clonal strain was first observed in southern Chile in 2004 and has since caused approximately 8,000 seafood-related diarrhea cases in this region. The massive proliferation of the original clonal population offers a unique opportunity to study the evolution of a bacterial pathogen in its natural environment by detection and characterization of emerging bacterial variants. Here, we describe a group of pandemic variants characterized by the presence of a 42-kb extrachromosomal DNA that can be recovered by alkaline extraction. Upon treatment with mitomycin C, these variants lyse with production of a myovirus containing DNA of equal size to the plasmid but which cannot be recovered by alkaline extraction. Plasmid and phage DNAs show similar restriction patterns corresponding to enzyme sites in a circular permutation. Sequenced regions showed 81 to 99% nucleotide similarity to bacteriophage VHML of Vibrio harveyi. Altogether these observations indicate that the 42-kb plasmid corresponds to a prophage, consisting of a linear DNA with terminal hairpins of a telomeric temperate phage with a linear genome. Bacteria containing the prophage were 7 to 15 times more sensitive to UV radiation, likely due to phage induction by UV irradiation as plasmid curing restored the original sensitivity. The enhanced UV sensitivity could have a significant role in reducing the survival and propagation capability of the V. parahaemolyticus pandemic strain in the ocean.
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Stabili L, Gravili C, Tredici SM, Piraino S, Talà A, Boero F, Alifano P. Epibiotic Vibrio luminous bacteria isolated from some hydrozoa and bryozoa species. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2008; 56:625-636. [PMID: 18437448 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-008-9382-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2007] [Revised: 02/29/2008] [Accepted: 03/03/2008] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Luminous bacteria are isolated from both Hydrozoa and Bryozoa with chitinous structures on their surfaces. All the specimens of the examined hydroid species (Aglaophenia kirchenpaueri, Aglaophenia octodonta, Aglaophenia tubiformis, Halopteris diaphana, Plumularia setacea, Ventromma halecioides), observed under blue light excitation, showed a clear fluorescence on the external side of the perisarc (chitinous exoskeleton) around hydrocladia. In the bryozoan Myriapora truncata, luminous bacteria are present on the chitinous opercula. All the isolated luminous bacteria were identified on the basis of both phenotypic and genotypic analysis. The isolates from A. tubiformis and H. diaphana were unambiguously assigned to the species Vibrio fischeri. In contrast, the isolates from the other hydroids, phenotypically assigned to the species Vibrio harveyi, were then split into two distinct species by phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences and DNA-DNA hybridization experiments. Scanning electron microscopy analysis and results of culture-based and culture-independent approaches enabled us to establish that luminous vibrios represent major constituents of the bacterial community inhabiting the A. octodonta surface suggesting that the interactions between luminous bacteria and the examined hydrozoan and bryozoan species are highly specific. These interactions might have epidemiological as well as ecological implications because of the opportunistic pathogenicity of luminous Vibrio species for marine organisms and the wide-distribution of the hydrozoan and bryozoan functioning as carriers.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Stabili
- Di.S.Te.B.A., University of Salento, Via Prov.le Lecce Monteroni, 73100 Lecce, Italy.
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Rico R, Tapia-Paniagua S, Martínez-Manzanares E, Balebona M, Moriñigo M. Characterization ofVibrio harveyistrains recovered from diseased farmed Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis). J Appl Microbiol 2008; 105:752-60. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2672.2008.03786.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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22
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Paul JH. Prophages in marine bacteria: dangerous molecular time bombs or the key to survival in the seas? ISME JOURNAL 2008; 2:579-89. [PMID: 18521076 DOI: 10.1038/ismej.2008.35] [Citation(s) in RCA: 265] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Bacteriophages are realized to be numerous and important components of oceanic food webs principally because of their lytic capabilities. The subtle changes that temperate phages impart to their hosts in the oceans are far less understood. Occurrences of lysogeny in the oceans correlate well with conditions unfavorable for rapid host growth. In coliphage lambda, phage encoded repressors have been shown to modulate host metabolic gene expression and phenotype, resulting in economizing host energy expenditure. Comparison of lysogenized marine bacteria to the uninfected hosts indicated that prophage acquisition is correlated with host metabolic gene suppression. Screening 113 marine bacterial genomes for prophages yielded 64 prophage-like elements, 21 of which strongly resembled gene transfer agents (GTAs). The remaining 39 putative prophages had a relatively high incidence of transcriptional regulatory and repressor-like proteins (approximately 2/40 kb prophage sequence) compared to lytic marine phages (approximately 0.25/40 kb phage sequence). Here, it has been hypothesized that marine prophages directly contribute to host survival in unfavorable environments by suppression of unneeded metabolic activities. It has been further suggested that such metabolic downshifts are the result of phage-encoded repressors and transcriptional regulators acting directly on host genes. Finally, the widespread occurrence of GTAs may be an efficient mechanism for horizontal gene transfer in the oceans.
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Affiliation(s)
- John H Paul
- College of Marine Science, University of South Florida, St Petersburg, FL 33701, USA.
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Thompson FL, Gomez-Gil B, Vasconcelos ATR, Sawabe T. Multilocus sequence analysis reveals that Vibrio harveyi and V. campbellii are distinct species. Appl Environ Microbiol 2007; 73:4279-85. [PMID: 17483280 PMCID: PMC1932783 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00020-07] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Identification and classification of Vibrio species have relied upon band pattern methods (e.g., amplified fragment length polymorphism) and DNA-DNA hybridization. However, data generated by these methods cannot be used to build an online electronic taxonomy. In order to overcome these limitations, we developed the first standard multilocus sequence scheme focused on the ubiquitous and pathogenic Vibrio harveyi species group (i.e., V. harveyi, V. campbellii, V. rotiferianus, and a new as yet unnamed species). We examined a collection of 104 isolates from different geographical regions and hosts using segments of seven housekeeping genes. These two species formed separated clusters on the basis of topA, pyrH, ftsZ, and mreB gene sequences. The phylogenetic picture obtained by the other three loci, i.e., gyrB, recA, and gapA, was more complex though. V. campbellii appeared nested within V. harveyi in the recA trees, whereas V. harveyi formed a tight nested cluster within V. campbellii by gapA. The gyrB gene had no taxonomic resolution and grouped the two species together. The fuzziness observed in these three genes seems not be related to recombination but to low divergence due to the accumulation of only a few substitutions. In spite of this, the concatenated sequences provided evidence that the two species form two separated clusters. These clusters did not arise by recombination but by accumulation of point mutations. V. harveyi and V. campbellii isolates can be readily identified through the open database resource developed in this study (http://www.taxvibrio.lncc.br/). We argue that the species should be defined by evolutionary criteria. Strains of the same species will share at least 95% concatenated sequence similarity using the seven loci, and, most importantly, cospecific strains will form cohesive readily recognizable phylogenetic clades.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabiano L Thompson
- Department of Genetics, Institute of Biology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
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