Article
Immunology
Antonio J. Martin-Galiano, Ernesto Garcia
Summary: Bacteriophages are viruses that infect bacteria and can integrate into the host chromosome. Prophages have been found in abundance in sequenced bacterial genomes and can modulate the virulence of their host through different mechanisms. A study on Streptococcus pneumoniae genomes revealed the presence of various prophages, coding for virulence factors and potential integrases.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Chaojie Wang, Shengchi Shi, Meiju Wei, Yi Luo
Summary: This study reports the discovery of an A. hydrophila prophage endolysin, PlyD4, which exhibits antibacterial activity against a broad range of pathogens. PlyD4 shows bactericidal effects in vitro and can protect zebrafish from A. hydrophila infection in vivo.
APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Food Science & Technology
Jie Yang, Xiaolong Zhu, Xingfeng Xu, Qingjie Sun
Summary: The use of antibiotics has stagnated due to issues such as antibiotic resistance, overuse, and residue. As an alternative, bacteriophages have gained significant attention as biocontrol agents in the food industry. This article provides an up-to-date overview of phage applications, including their effectiveness against foodborne pathogens, the use of phage-encoded endolysins, and their incorporation in food packaging and pathogen detection. Additionally, the study identifies existing barriers and proposes potential solutions for future implementation.
CRITICAL REVIEWS IN FOOD SCIENCE AND NUTRITION
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Megat Hamzah Megat Mazhar Khair, An Nie Tee, Nurul Fazlin Wahab, Siti Sarah Othman, Yong Meng Goh, Mas Jaffri Masarudin, Chou Min Chong, Lionel Lian Aun In, Han Ming Gan, Adelene Ai-Lian Song
Summary: The isolation of a Streptococcus agalactiae phage from infected tilapia, named vB_Sags-UPM1, is reported. The phage shares genes with the S. agalactiae S73 chromosome and other strains, presumably due to prophages carried by these hosts, and encodes integrase, suggesting it is a temperate phage.
Article
Virology
Jumpei Fujiki, Shin-ichi Yoshida, Tomohiro Nakamura, Keisuke Nakamura, Yurika Amano, Keita Nishida, Keitaro Nishi, Michihito Sasaki, Tomohito Iwasaki, Hirofumi Sawa, Hitoshi Komatsuzawa, Hiroshi Hijioka, Hidetomo Iwano
Summary: This study reported the discovery of a virulent bacteriophage Phi SG005 against Streptococcus gordonii from drainage water, showing efficient bactericidal effects and no prophage-related elements. These findings contribute to the understanding of streptococcus viruses and the development of phage therapy against S. gordonii infection.
Article
Microbiology
Miaomiao Wu, Yanpeng Zhu, Yuhui Yang, Yali Gong, Zongyue Chen, Binyou Liao, Yu Xiong, Xia Zhou, Yan Li
Summary: This study aimed to isolate and characterize novel oral phages using culture-omics method. A total of 75 bacterial strains were successfully isolated, revealing 14 potential new bacterial species. Additionally, a temperate phage targeting a specific oral commensal bacterium was isolated, indicating a potential role of oral phages in regulating oral microbiome and diseases.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Virology
Sangsang Deng, Qiang Xu, Yajuan Fu, Leiqin Liang, Yan Wu, Fang Peng, Meiying Gao
Summary: Phage therapy is considered a promising method for addressing multidrug-resistant bacteria, and a newly characterized Myoviridae phage, vB_EcoM_APEC, was able to infect MDR E. coli strains as well as other related bacteria. Genome analysis revealed that vB_EcoM_APEC is a novel phage with low similarity to other available phage genomes.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Carmen Sanchez, Sonia Garde, Jose Maria Landete, Javier Calzada, Dave J. Baker, Rhiannon Evans, Arjan Narbad, Melinda J. Mayer, Marta Avila
Summary: This study sequenced and compared the genomes of bacteriophages active against C. tyrobutyricum, identifying novel species and phage proteins. A phage showed high lytic activity against C. tyrobutyricum cells and remained stable under different environmental conditions. Additionally, engineered strains successfully delivered endolysin and fluorescent protein to dairy products without affecting their technological properties.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Lucia Bocanova, Michal Psenko, Imrich Barak, Nora Halgasova, Hana Drahovska, Gabriela Bukovska
Summary: The endolysin EN534 has the potential to become an antimicrobial agent for treating Streptococcus agalactiae infections, showing good lytic activity and stability.
JOURNAL OF BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Genglin Guo, Dechao Du, Yanfei Yu, Yuhang Zhang, Yunyun Qian, Wei Zhang
Summary: Streptococcus suis is an emerging zoonotic pathogen that causes severe infections in swine and humans, with serotype 2 being most frequently associated with infections. Understanding the genomic features of different virulent strains is important, with core genes involved in basic physiological functions and accessory genes related to evolution. Comparative analysis revealed significant differences in pilus clusters between virulent and avirulent strains, with avirulent strains having larger genomes and more prophage sequences.
TRANSBOUNDARY AND EMERGING DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Preethi T. Ragunathan, Evelyne Ng Kwan Lim, Xiangqian Ma, Eric Masse, Carin K. Vanderpool
Summary: This study reveals that the expression and RNA processing of the dicBF operon in E. coli K-12 are regulated by multiple mechanisms, including accumulation of DicF sRNA, processing of the polycistronic mRNA by RNase III and RNase E, and relief of DicA-mediated transcriptional repression by the antirepressor protein Rem. Furthermore, the induction of the dicBF operon is also stress-dependent.
JOURNAL OF BACTERIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Katerina Snopkova, Kristyna Dufkova, Ivo Chamrad, Rene Lenobel, Darina Cejkova, Marcel Kosina, Matej Hrala, Veronika Hola, Ivo Sedlacek, David Smajs
Summary: Interactions within Antarctic bacterial communities are primarily mediated by bacteriocins, suggesting that these cold-adapted microorganisms could be a promising source of new antimicrobials.
ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Helena Leinweber, Raphael N. Sieber, Jesper Larsen, Marc Stegger, Hanne Ingmer
Summary: The study revealed that phages carrying virulence factors can adapt and integrate into new strains of Staphylococcus aureus, even those lacking preferred integration sites. This adaptation is facilitated by the promiscuity of the phage-encoded tyrosine recombinase, allowing the phages to increase virulence and zoonotic potential in different host organisms.
Article
Microbiology
Tulio Morgan, Rafael Reis de Rezende, Thamylles Thuany Mayrink Lima, Flavia de Oliveira Souza, Poliane Alfenas-Zerbini
Summary: This study described the occurrence and diversity of prophages in Erwinia genomes, a genus of plant pathogens. Prophage-like sequences were identified and classified. The presence of anti-phage defense systems, such as DISARM, BREX, and CRISPR-Cas systems, was also investigated. The study found a large number of prophage-like sequences in Erwinia genomes, with a high level of diversity, and identified conserved CRISPR spacers targeting these prophages.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Hiroshi Arai, Hisashi Anbutsu, Yohei Nishikawa, Masato Kogawa, Kazuo Ishii, Masahito Hosokawa, Shiou-Ruei Lin, Masatoshi Ueda, Madoka Nakai, Yasuhisa Kunimi, Toshiyuki Harumoto, Daisuke Kageyama, Haruko Takeyama, Maki N. Inoue
Summary: In this study, a specific prophage region in male-killing Wolbachia hosted by Homona magnanima was identified. The prophage encoded toxic genes wmk-1 and wmk-3, which killed most males and females when overexpressed in Drosophila melanogaster. Furthermore, the co-expression of wmk-3 and wmk-4 resulted in male-specific lethality. These findings highlight the role of bacteriophages in male-killing evolution and the variations in male-killing mechanisms among insects.