Dataset Information

Widespread Utilization of Peptide Communication in Phages Infecting Soil and Pathogenic Bacteria.

ABSTRACT: Temperate phages can adopt either a lytic or lysogenic lifestyle within their host bacteria. It was recently shown that Bacillus-subtilis-infecting phages of the SPbeta group utilize a peptide-based communication system called arbitrium to coordinate the lysogeny decision. The occurrence of peptide-based communication systems among phages more broadly remains to be explored. Here, we uncover a wide array of peptide-based communication systems utilized by phages for lysogeny decisions. These arbitrium-like systems show diverse peptide codes and can be detected in numerous genetically distant phage types and conjugative elements. The pathogens Bacillus anthracis, Bacillus cereus, and Bacillus thuringiensis are commonly infected by arbitrium-carrying mobile elements, which often carry toxins essential for pathogenicity. Experiments with phages containing these arbitrium-like systems demonstrate their involvement in lysogeny decisions. Finally, our results suggest that the peptide-based decision is executed by an antisense RNA that controls the regulator of the lysogenic state.

SUBMITTER: Stokar-Avihail A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6986904 | biostudies-literature | 2019 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Widespread Utilization of Peptide Communication in Phages Infecting Soil and Pathogenic Bacteria.

Stokar-Avihail Avigail A Tal Nitzan N Erez Zohar Z Lopatina Anna A Sorek Rotem R

Cell host & microbe 20190501 5

Temperate phages can adopt either a lytic or lysogenic lifestyle within their host bacteria. It was recently shown that Bacillus-subtilis-infecting phages of the SPbeta group utilize a peptide-based communication system called arbitrium to coordinate the lysogeny decision. The occurrence of peptide-based communication systems among phages more broadly remains to be explored. Here, we uncover a wide array of peptide-based communication systems utilized by phages for lysogeny decisions. These arbi ...[more]

PMID: 31071296

Similar Datasets

Project description:Antarctica, being the coldest, driest, and windiest continent on Earth, represents the most extreme environment in which a living organism can survive. Under constant exposure to harsh environmental threats, terrestrial Antarctica remains home to a great diversity of microorganisms, indicating that the soil bacteria must have adapted a range of survival strategies that require cell-to-cell communication. Survival strategies include secondary metabolite production, biofilm formation, bioluminescence, symbiosis, conjugation, sporulation, and motility, all of which are often regulated by quorum sensing (QS), a type of bacterial communication. Until now, such mechanisms have not been explored in terrestrial Antarctica. In this study, LuxI/LuxR-based quorum sensing (QS) activity was delineated in soil bacterial isolates recovered from Adams Flat, in the Vestfold Hills region of East Antarctica. Interestingly, we identified the production of potential homoserine lactones (HSLs) with chain lengths ranging from medium to long in 19 bacterial species using three biosensors, namely, Agrobacterium tumefaciens NTL4, Chromobacterium violaceum CV026, and Escherichia coli MT102, in conjunction with thin-layer chromatography (TLC). The majority of detectable HSLs were from Gram-positive species not previously known to produce HSLs. This discovery further expands our understanding of the microbial community capable of this type of communication, as well as provides insights into physiological adaptations of microorganisms that allow them to survive in the harsh Antarctic environment.IMPORTANCE Quorum sensing, a type of bacterial communication, is widely known to regulate many processes, including those that confer a survival advantage. However, little is known about communication by bacteria residing within Antarctic soils. Employing a combination of bacterial biosensors, analytical techniques, and genome mining, we found a variety of Antarctic soil bacteria speaking a common language, via LuxI/LuxR-based quorum sensing, thus potentially supporting survival in a mixed microbial community. This study reports potential quorum sensing activity in Antarctic soils and has provided a platform for studying physiological adaptations of microorganisms that allow them to survive in the harsh Antarctic environment.

Project description:With the emerging threat of infections caused by multidrug resistant bacteria, phages have been reconsidered as an alternative for treating infections caused by tenacious pathogens. However, instead of replacing antibiotics, the combination of both types of antimicrobials can be superior over the use of single agents. Enhanced bacterial suppression, more efficient penetration into biofilms, and lowered chances for the emergence of phage resistance are the likely advantages of the combined strategy. While a number of studies have provided experimental evidence in support of this concept, negative interference between phages and antibiotics have been reported as well. Neutral effects have also been observed, but in those cases, combined approaches may still be important for at least hampering the development of resistance. In any case, the choice of phage type and antibiotic as well as their mixing ratios must be given careful consideration when deciding for a dual antibacterial approach. The most frequently tested bacterium for a combined antibacterial treatment has been Pseudomonas aeruginosa, but encouraging results have also been reported for Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Enterococcus faecalis, and Burkholderia cepacia. Given the immense play area of conceivable phage-antibiotic combinations and their potential excess value, it is time to recapitulate of what has been achieved so far. This review therefore gathers and compares the results from most relevant studies in order to help researchers and clinicians in their strategies to combat multidrug resistant bacteria. Special attention is given to the selected bacterial model organisms, the phage families and genera employed, and the experimental design and evaluation (e.g., in vitro vs. in vivo models, biofilm vs. planktonic culture experiments, order and frequency of administration etc.). The presented data may serve as a framework for directed further experimental approaches to ultimately achieve a resolute challenge of multidrug resistant bacteria based on traditional antibiotics and phages.

Project description:IntroductionOrganic soil amendments such as filter mud (FM) and biochar (BC) can potentially influence the abundance and composition of metabolites. However, our current understanding of the stimulatory effects of FM and BC's long-term impact on stress-regulating metabolites, such as abscisic acid (ABA), jasmonic acid (JA), melatonin, and phenyllactic acid (PLA), and these substrates regulatory effects on disease-causing bacteria in sugarcane ratooning field, which is susceptible to nutrients depletion, diseases, etc., remain poorly understood. Additionally, little is known about how the long-term interaction of these substrates and compounds influences sugarcane ratooning soil enzyme activities, nutrient cycling, and crop growth performance.MethodsTo answer these questions, we adopted metabolomics tools combined with high-throughput sequencing to explore the stimulatory effects of the long-term addition of FM and BC on metabolites (e.g., PLA and abscisic aldehyde) and quantify these substrates' regulatory effects on disease-causing bacteria, soil enzyme activities, nutrient cycling, and crop growth performance.ResultsThe result revealed that ratoon crop weight, stem diameter, sugar content, as well as soil physico-chemical properties, including soil nitrate (NH3 +-N), organic matter (OM), total nitrogen (TN), total carbon (TC), and β-glucosidase, marked a significant increase under the BC and FM-amended soils. Whereas soil available potassium (AK), NO3 -N, cellulase activity, and phosphatase peaked under the BC-amended soil, primarily due to the enduring effects of these substrates and metabolites. Furthermore, BC and FM-amended soils enriched specific stress-regulating metabolites, including JA, melatonin, abscisic aldehyde, etc. The sustained effects of both BC and FM-amended soils suppressed disease-causing bacteria, eventually promoting ratooning soil growth conditions. A number of key bioactive compounds had distinct associations with several beneficial bacteria and soil physico-chemical properties.DiscussionThis study proves that long-term BC and FM application is one of the eco-friendly strategies to promote ratoon crop growth and soil quality through the enrichment of stress-regulating metabolites and the suppression of disease-causing bacteria.

Dataset Information

Widespread Utilization of Peptide Communication in Phages Infecting Soil and Pathogenic Bacteria.

Publications

Widespread Utilization of Peptide Communication in Phages Infecting Soil and Pathogenic Bacteria.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets