The objective of this study is to quantitatively reveal the main genetic carrier of antibiotic resistance genes(ARGs)for blocking their environmental dissemination.The distribution of ARGs in chromosomes,plasmids,and ...The objective of this study is to quantitatively reveal the main genetic carrier of antibiotic resistance genes(ARGs)for blocking their environmental dissemination.The distribution of ARGs in chromosomes,plasmids,and phages for understanding their respective contributions to the development of antimicrobial resistance in aerobic biofilm consortium under increasing stresses of oxytetracycline,streptomycin,and tigecyclinewere revealed based on metagenomics analysis.Results showed that the plasmids harbored 49.2%-83.9%of resistomes,which was higher(p<0.001)than chromosomes(2.0%-35.6%),and no ARGs were detected in phage contigs under the strict alignment standard of over 80%identity used in this study.Plasmids and chromosomes tended to encode different types of ARGs,whose abundances all increased with the hike of antibiotic concentrations,and the variety of ARGs encoded by plasmids(14 types and 64 subtypes)was higher than that(11 types and 27 subtypes)of chromosomes.The dosing of the three antibiotics facilitated the transposition and recombination of ARGs on plasmids,mediated by transposable and integrable transfer elements,which increased the co-occurrence of associated and unassociated ARGs.The results quantitatively proved that plasmids dominate the proliferation of ARGs in aerobic biofilm driven by antibiotic selection,which should be a key target for blocking ARG dissemination.展开更多
Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is a bacterial pathogen for humans and animals. These bacteria can resist against many antibiotics and this resistance constitute an alarming worldwide human health threat due to the ...Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is a bacterial pathogen for humans and animals. These bacteria can resist against many antibiotics and this resistance constitute an alarming worldwide human health threat due to the morbidity and mortality. Phage therapy is one of the alternative treatments. The aim of this study was to isolate and characterize lytic phages of S. aureus from different wastewater sources in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso. Eight strains of S. aureus were isolated from different clinical samples and were used to isolate phages. The isolation and host range of phages were done by the spot test. Phages were purified by the double-layer method. Similar phages after the determination of the host range were characterized using restriction enzymes. A total of 27 phages were obtained after isolation and purification. Nine of the 27 isolates reported a broad host range (≥67%). The results of enzymatic digestion allowed to consider that all phage isolates that presented the same host range and the same genetic fingerprint are the same phage strain;whereas phages that presented the same host range and different genetic fingerprints are different phage strains. Thus, a total of 15 distinct phages isolates specific to S. aureus were characterized. This study highlighted the abundance and lytic capacity of phages isolated from wastewater from Bobo-Dioulasso’s environment against clinical strains of S. aureus. The lytic capacity of these Staphyphages could be an effective alternative tool to combat bacteria multi-resistance.展开更多
Epidemiological studies have indicated that branched-chain amino acids(BCAAs)increased and gut microbiota disordered in type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM).This study aimed to investigate the mechanism of Lactiplantibacill...Epidemiological studies have indicated that branched-chain amino acids(BCAAs)increased and gut microbiota disordered in type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM).This study aimed to investigate the mechanism of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum strain 84-3(Lp84-3)combined with Staphylococcus aureus bacteriophage on ameliorating T2DM.Here we perform a case-control study and identify that Staphylococcus_phage was inversely correlated with fasting blood glucose(FBG).It revealed that Lp84-3 could inhibit the growth of S.aureus,and Lp84-3 contains BCAAs degradation enzymes in its genome.Furthermore,Lp84-3 alone or combined with S.aureus bacteriophage interventions can improve blood glucose,insulin resistance,triglycerides,interleukin-1β,tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),BCAAs,and acetyllactate synthase(ALS)in db/db mice.Lp84-3 and S.aureus bacteriophage decreased S.aureus,Malacoplasma iowae,and Oscillibacter sp.,and increased some beneficial such as L.plantarum and Muribaculaceae bacterium.Transcriptomic analyses revealed that Lp84-3 and S.aureus bacteriophage activated the PI3K/AKT/GLUT4 signaling pathway and upregulated key genes of Il22,Hgf,Col6a1,Gh,Itga10,Fgf23,and Prl involved in glucose metabolism in hypothalamus.Collectively,Lp84-3 and S.aureus bacteriophage alleviate T2DM by modulating gut microbiota and enhancing glucose metabolism in hypothalamus,supporting its potential use as a promising functional compound microecological agent for alleviating T2DM.展开更多
In the post-antibiotic era,the overuse of antimicrobials has led to a massive increase in antimicrobial resistance,leaving medical doctors few or no treatment options to fight infections caused by superbugs.The use of...In the post-antibiotic era,the overuse of antimicrobials has led to a massive increase in antimicrobial resistance,leaving medical doctors few or no treatment options to fight infections caused by superbugs.The use of bacteriophages is a promising alternative to treat infections,supplementing or possibly even replacing antibiotics.Using phages for therapy is possible,since these bacterial viruses can kill bacteria specifically,causing no harm to the normal flora.However,bacteria have developed a multitude of sophisticated and complex ways to resist infection by phages,including abortive infection and the clustered regularly interspersed short palindromic repeats(CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated(Cas)system.Phages also can evolve and acquire new anti-defense strategies to continue predation.An in-depth exploration of both defense and anti-defense mechanisms would contribute to optimizing phage therapy,while we would also gain novel insights into the microbial world.In this paper,we summarize recent research on bacterial phage resistance and phage anti-defense mechanisms,as well as collaborative win-win systems involving both virus and host.展开更多
The year 2015 marks 100 years since Dr.Frederick Twort discovered the"filterable lytic factor",which was later independently discovered and named "bacteriophage" by Dr.Felix d’Herelle.On this memo...The year 2015 marks 100 years since Dr.Frederick Twort discovered the"filterable lytic factor",which was later independently discovered and named "bacteriophage" by Dr.Felix d’Herelle.On this memorable centennial,it is exciting to see a special issue published by Virologica Sinica on Phages and Therapy.In this issue,readers will not only fi nd that bacteriophage research is a展开更多
Acinetobacter baumannii causes serious infections especially in immunocompromised and/or hospitalized patients.Several A.baumannii strains are multidrug resistant and infect wounds,bones,and the respiratory tract.Curr...Acinetobacter baumannii causes serious infections especially in immunocompromised and/or hospitalized patients.Several A.baumannii strains are multidrug resistant and infect wounds,bones,and the respiratory tract.Current studies are focused on finding new effective agents against A.baumannii.Phage therapy is a promising means to fight this bacterium and many studies on procuring and applying new phages against A.baumannii are currently being conducted.As shown in animal models,phages against multidrug-resistant A.baumannii may control bacterial infections caused by this pathogen and may be a real hope to solve this dangerous health problem.展开更多
Soft rot is an economically significant disease in potato and one of the major threats to sustainable potato production.This study aimed at isolating lytic bacteriophages and evaluating methods for and the efficacy of...Soft rot is an economically significant disease in potato and one of the major threats to sustainable potato production.This study aimed at isolating lytic bacteriophages and evaluating methods for and the efficacy of applying phages to control potato soft rot caused by Pectobacterium carotovorum.Eleven bacteriophages isolated from soil and water samples collected in Wuhan,China,were used to infect P.carotovorum host strains isolated from potato tubers showing soft rot symptoms in Nakuru county,Kenya.The efficacy of the phages in controlling soft rot disease was evaluated by applying individual phage strains or a phage cocktail on potato slices and tubers at different time points before or after inoculation with a P.carotovorum strain.The phages could lyse 20 strains of P.carotovorum,but not Pseudomonas fluorescens control strains.Among the 11 phages,Pectobacterium phage Wc5r,interestingly showed cross-activity against Pectobacterium atrosepticum and two phage-resistant P.carotovorum strains.Potato slice assays showed that the phage concentration and timing of application are crucial factors for effective soft rot control.Phage cocktail applied at a concentration of 1×10^9 plaque-forming units per milliliter before or within an hour after bacterial inoculation on potato slices,resulted in>90%reduction of soft rot symptoms.This study provides a basis for the development and application of phages to reduce the impact of potato soft rot disease.展开更多
The emergence of multidrug-resistant bacterial pathogens forced us to consider the phage therapy as one of the possible alternative approaches to treatment. The purpose of this paper is to consider the conditions for ...The emergence of multidrug-resistant bacterial pathogens forced us to consider the phage therapy as one of the possible alternative approaches to treatment. The purpose of this paper is to consider the conditions for the safe, long-term use of phage therapy against various infections caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. We describe the selection of the most suitable phages, their most effective combinations and some approaches for the rapid recognition of phages unsuitable for use in therapy. The benefi ts and disadvantages of the various different approaches to the preparation of phage mixtures are considered, together with the specifi c conditions that are required for the safe application of phage therapy in general hospitals and the possibilities for the development of personalized phage therapy.展开更多
The increasing emergence of multi-drug resistant Escherichia coli(E.coli)has become a global concern,primarily due to the limitation of antimicrobial treatment options.Phage therapy has been considered as a promising ...The increasing emergence of multi-drug resistant Escherichia coli(E.coli)has become a global concern,primarily due to the limitation of antimicrobial treatment options.Phage therapy has been considered as a promising alternative for treating infections caused by multi-drug resistant E.coli.However,the application of phages as a promising antimicrobial agent is limited by their narrow host range and specificity.In this research,a recombinant T4-like phage,named WGqlae,has been obtained by changing the receptor specificity determinant region of gene 37,using a homologous recombination platform of T4-like phages established by our laboratory previously.The engineered phage WGqlae can lyse four additional hosts,comparing to its parental phages WG01 and QL01.WGqlae showed similar characteristics,including thermo and pH stability,optimal multiplicity of infection and one-step growth curve,to the donor phage QL01.In addition,sequencing results showed that gene 37 of recombinant phage WGqlae had genetically stable even after 20 generations.In planktonic test,phage WGqlae had significant antimicrobial effects on E.coli DE192 and DE205 B.The optical density at 600 nm(OD600)of E.coli in phage WGqlae treating group was significantly lower than that of the control group(P\0.01).Besides,phage WGqlae demonstrated an obvious inhibitory effect on the biofilm formation and the clearance of mature biofilms.Our study suggested that engineered phages may be promising candidates for future phage therapy applications against pathogenic E.coli in planktonic and biofilm forms.展开更多
Magnetotactic bacteria(MTB)are ubiquitous prokaryotes that orient along magnetic field lines due to magnetosomes’biomineralization within the cell.These structures are ferrimagnetic organelles that impart a magnetic ...Magnetotactic bacteria(MTB)are ubiquitous prokaryotes that orient along magnetic field lines due to magnetosomes’biomineralization within the cell.These structures are ferrimagnetic organelles that impart a magnetic moment to the cell.To succeed in producing magnetosomes,MTB accumulate iron in(i)cytoplasm;(ⅱ)magnetosomes;and(ⅲ)nearby the organelle.It has already been estimated that a single MTB has an iron content of 10 to 100-fold higher than Escherichia coli.Phages are the most abundant entity in oceans and are known for controlling nutrient flow such as carbon and nitrogen by viral shunt and pump.The current work addresses the putative role of phages that infect MTB on the iron biogeochemical cycle.Can phage infection in MTB hosts cause a biogenic iron fertilization-like event in localized microenvironments?Are phages critical players in driving magnetosome biomineralization genes(BGs)horizontal transfer?Further investigation of those events,including frequency of occurrence,is necessary to fully comprehend MTB’s effect on iron cycling in aqueous environments.展开更多
Both the antigen presenting ability and the cytotoxicity of macrophages can be enhanced by GMCSF gene transfer. In the present study, the therapeutic effect of intratumoral injection with GMCSF genemodified allogenic ...Both the antigen presenting ability and the cytotoxicity of macrophages can be enhanced by GMCSF gene transfer. In the present study, the therapeutic effect of intratumoral injection with GMCSF genemodified allogenic macrophages on tumorbearing mice observed. The peritoneal macrophages of C57BL/6 mice were transfected with GMCSF gene mediated by recombinant adenovirus and the subcutaneous CT26 colon adenocarcinomabearing BALB/c mice were treated by intratumoral injection of the above macrophages. The survival time of the tumorbearing mice were prolonged significantly and some tumor mass disappeared completely. The necroses of the tumor cells and massive infiltration of inflammatory cells were observed 6 days after treatment. 30 days after treatment, only the leftover of tumor cells and the inflammatory cells remained. The data indicated that introtumoral injection of GMCSF genemodified allogenic macrophages displayed more potent therapeutic effect on the preestablished tumorbearing mice.展开更多
Hepatitis B virus(HBV) infection is a major global health challenge leading to serious disorders such as cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Currently, there exist various diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for...Hepatitis B virus(HBV) infection is a major global health challenge leading to serious disorders such as cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Currently, there exist various diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for HBV infection. However, prevalence and hazardous effects of chronic viral infection heighten the need to develop novel methodologies for the detection and treatment of this infection. Bacteriophages, viruses that specifically infect bacterial cells, with a long-established tradition in molecular biology and biotechnology have recently been introduced as novel tools for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of HBV infection. Bacteriophages, due to tremendous genetic flexibility, represent potential to undergo a huge variety of surface modifications. This property has been the rationale behind introduction of phage display concept. This powerful approach, together with combinatorial chemistry, has shaped the concept of phage display libraries with diverse applications for the detection and therapy of HBV infection. This review aims to offer an insightful overview of the potential of bacteriophages in the development of helpful prophylactic(vaccine design), diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for HBV infection thereby providing new perspec-tives to the growing field of bacteriophage researches directing towards HBV infection.展开更多
In recent years, the development of antibiotic resistant bacteria has become a global concern which has prompted research into the development of alternative disease control strategies for the swine industry. Bacterio...In recent years, the development of antibiotic resistant bacteria has become a global concern which has prompted research into the development of alternative disease control strategies for the swine industry. Bacteriophages （viruses that infect bacteria） offer the prospect of a sustainable alternative approach against bacterial pathogens with the flexibility of being applied therapeutically or for biological control purposes. This paper reviews the use of phages as an antimicrobial strategy for controlling critical pathogens including Salmonella and Eschefich[a coli with an emphasis on the application of phages for improving performance and nutrient digestibility in swine operations as well as in controlling zoonotic human diseases by reducing the bacterial load spread from pork products to humans through the meat,展开更多
Salmonella and their biofilm formation are the primary bacterial causes of foodborne outbreaks and crosscontamination. The objective of the study was to investigate the potential of Salmonella phages as an alternative...Salmonella and their biofilm formation are the primary bacterial causes of foodborne outbreaks and crosscontamination. The objective of the study was to investigate the potential of Salmonella phages as an alternative technology for biofilm removal. In this work, 21 Salmonella phages were isolated from a chicken farm and slaughter plant and the phage(CW1)with the broadest spectrum was characterized. Complete genome sequence analysis revealed that the genomes of phage CW1 is composed of 41 763 bp with 58 open reading frames(ORFs)and a holin-endolysin system and it does not encode any virulence or lysogeny. A phage cocktail consisted of CW1(with the broadest spectrum of 70.49%)and CW11, M4 and M10(with a high lytic activity of more than 67.11%)was established. Treatment with the cocktail reduced the cells in the developing biofilm and mature biofilm by 0.79 lg(CFU/cm~2)and 0.4 lg(CFU/cm~2), respectively. More dead cells and scattered extracellular polymeric substances(EPS)were observed by confocal laser scanning microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Raman analysis found that carbohydrates and proteins were the identification receptors for scattered EPS. This finding suggests that this phage cockta il has potential applications for the sterilization of Salmonella biofilm during meat processing.展开更多
Dear Editor,Viruses are the most abundant,diverse,and ubiquitous entities(approximately 1031)on Earth.They play major roles in horizontal gene transfer,the regulation of bacterial community structures,as well as nutri...Dear Editor,Viruses are the most abundant,diverse,and ubiquitous entities(approximately 1031)on Earth.They play major roles in horizontal gene transfer,the regulation of bacterial community structures,as well as nutrient and energy cycles of marine ecosystems(Danovaro et al.,2008).In particular,lytic bacteriophages(phages)can infect and kill bacteria without harming human or展开更多
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA) is an increasing cause of serious infection,both in the community and hospital settings. Despite sophisticated strategies and efforts, the antibiotic options for treat...Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA) is an increasing cause of serious infection,both in the community and hospital settings. Despite sophisticated strategies and efforts, the antibiotic options for treating MRSA infection are narrowing because of the limited number of newly developed antimicrobials. Here, four newly-isolated MRSA-virulent phages, IME-SA1, IMESA2, IME-SA118 and IME-SA119, were sequenced and analyzed. Their genome termini were identified using our previously proposed "termini analysis theory". We provide evidence that remarkable conserved terminus sequences are found in IME-SA1/2/118/119, and, moreover, are widespread throughout Twortlikevirus Staphylococcus phage G1 and K species. Results also suggested that each phage of the two species has conserved 5′ terminus while the 3′ terminus is variable. More importantly, a variable region with a specific pattern was found to be present near the conserved terminus of Twortlikevirus S. phage G1 species. The clone with the longest variable region had variable terminus lengths in successive generations, while the clones with the shortest variable region and with the average length variable region maintained the same terminal length as themselves during successive generations. IME-SA1 bacterial infection experiments showed that the variation is not derived from adaptation of the phage to different host strains. This is the first study of the conserved terminus and variable region of Twortlikevirus S. phages.展开更多
Prophages are temperate phages integrated into the host bacterial genome.They play an important role in the adaptation and the pathogenicity of bacteria,especially pathogenic bacteria.In this review,we described the d...Prophages are temperate phages integrated into the host bacterial genome.They play an important role in the adaptation and the pathogenicity of bacteria,especially pathogenic bacteria.In this review,we described the distribution of prophages in different hosts and different environments,and focused on the significance of prophages.At the singlecell level,prophages can help the host adapt to harsh external environments by directly carrying virulence genes,encoding regulatory factors and activating lysogeny.At the population level,prophages can influence the overall evolutionary direction and ecological function of the host bacterial community.This review will help us understand the important role of prophages as unique organisms in individual bacteria and microbial populations.展开更多
The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) is the concentration at which an antibacterial agent experiences the complete inhibition of organism growth. Bacteriophages represent a rich and unique resource of anti-infec...The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) is the concentration at which an antibacterial agent experiences the complete inhibition of organism growth. Bacteriophages represent a rich and unique resource of anti-infectives to counter the growing world-wide problem of antibiotic resistance. In this study, we compared the host range of lytic bacteriophages and temperate phagesbelonging to various genera, namely Staphylococcus, E. coli and Salmonella, with a range of clinical isolates using two methods: the classical agar overlay method and a newly developed MIC method. MIC was only observed with isolates that were susceptible to phage infection, which correlated with the agar overlay assay, whereas no MIC was detected with isolates that were resistant to phage infection. The simple MIC method was useful in determining phage adsorption and host range, and detecting possible prophage contamination in phage preparations. Interestingly, this method was also applicable to strain differentiation through phage susceptibility testing using a 96-well, high throughput format that proved to be easy, cost-effective, fast and reliable.展开更多
Bacteriophages represent a rich and unique resource of anti-infectives to counter the global problem of antibiotic resis- tance. In this work, we assessed the bactericidal activity of two virulent staphylococcal phage...Bacteriophages represent a rich and unique resource of anti-infectives to counter the global problem of antibiotic resis- tance. In this work, we assessed the bactericidal activity of two virulent staphylococcal phages, K and 44AHJD, against S. aureus isolates of clinical significance, and tested their efficacy in vivo. The phage cocktail lysed >85% of the clinical isolates tested. Both the phages were purified by ion-exchange column chromatography following propagation in bioreactors. The purity profiles of the ion-exchange purified phages were compared with those of phages purified using cesium chloride density gradient ultracentrifugation, and infectiousness of the purified phages was confirmed by plaque forming assay. The in vivo efficacy of a phage cocktail was evaluated in an experimental murine nasal colonization model, which showed that the phage cocktail was efficacious. To our knowledge, this is the first report of phage use in an in vivo model of nasal carriage.展开更多
Impact statement.Evolutionary training of phages can help to counter bacterial resistance evolution.Here,we address whether metapopulation processes can enhance the evolution of phage infectivity.Our experiment with a...Impact statement.Evolutionary training of phages can help to counter bacterial resistance evolution.Here,we address whether metapopulation processes can enhance the evolution of phage infectivity.Our experiment with a model bacterium-phage system supported a prediction of long-term fluctuating selection dynamics.Specifically,metapopulations of several small habitats showed greater total infectivity ranges by supporting more diverse phages,compared with single large populations.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.52091545 and 51978645).
文摘The objective of this study is to quantitatively reveal the main genetic carrier of antibiotic resistance genes(ARGs)for blocking their environmental dissemination.The distribution of ARGs in chromosomes,plasmids,and phages for understanding their respective contributions to the development of antimicrobial resistance in aerobic biofilm consortium under increasing stresses of oxytetracycline,streptomycin,and tigecyclinewere revealed based on metagenomics analysis.Results showed that the plasmids harbored 49.2%-83.9%of resistomes,which was higher(p<0.001)than chromosomes(2.0%-35.6%),and no ARGs were detected in phage contigs under the strict alignment standard of over 80%identity used in this study.Plasmids and chromosomes tended to encode different types of ARGs,whose abundances all increased with the hike of antibiotic concentrations,and the variety of ARGs encoded by plasmids(14 types and 64 subtypes)was higher than that(11 types and 27 subtypes)of chromosomes.The dosing of the three antibiotics facilitated the transposition and recombination of ARGs on plasmids,mediated by transposable and integrable transfer elements,which increased the co-occurrence of associated and unassociated ARGs.The results quantitatively proved that plasmids dominate the proliferation of ARGs in aerobic biofilm driven by antibiotic selection,which should be a key target for blocking ARG dissemination.
文摘Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is a bacterial pathogen for humans and animals. These bacteria can resist against many antibiotics and this resistance constitute an alarming worldwide human health threat due to the morbidity and mortality. Phage therapy is one of the alternative treatments. The aim of this study was to isolate and characterize lytic phages of S. aureus from different wastewater sources in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso. Eight strains of S. aureus were isolated from different clinical samples and were used to isolate phages. The isolation and host range of phages were done by the spot test. Phages were purified by the double-layer method. Similar phages after the determination of the host range were characterized using restriction enzymes. A total of 27 phages were obtained after isolation and purification. Nine of the 27 isolates reported a broad host range (≥67%). The results of enzymatic digestion allowed to consider that all phage isolates that presented the same host range and the same genetic fingerprint are the same phage strain;whereas phages that presented the same host range and different genetic fingerprints are different phage strains. Thus, a total of 15 distinct phages isolates specific to S. aureus were characterized. This study highlighted the abundance and lytic capacity of phages isolated from wastewater from Bobo-Dioulasso’s environment against clinical strains of S. aureus. The lytic capacity of these Staphyphages could be an effective alternative tool to combat bacteria multi-resistance.
基金supported by research grants from the Guangdong Province Basic and Applied Basic Research Fund Project(2022A1515110447)Open Fund Project of the State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology in South China(SKLAM006-2022)+1 种基金74th batch of general funding from the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(2023M740774)Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital,Postdoctoral Research Launch Fund(BY012022017)。
文摘Epidemiological studies have indicated that branched-chain amino acids(BCAAs)increased and gut microbiota disordered in type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM).This study aimed to investigate the mechanism of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum strain 84-3(Lp84-3)combined with Staphylococcus aureus bacteriophage on ameliorating T2DM.Here we perform a case-control study and identify that Staphylococcus_phage was inversely correlated with fasting blood glucose(FBG).It revealed that Lp84-3 could inhibit the growth of S.aureus,and Lp84-3 contains BCAAs degradation enzymes in its genome.Furthermore,Lp84-3 alone or combined with S.aureus bacteriophage interventions can improve blood glucose,insulin resistance,triglycerides,interleukin-1β,tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),BCAAs,and acetyllactate synthase(ALS)in db/db mice.Lp84-3 and S.aureus bacteriophage decreased S.aureus,Malacoplasma iowae,and Oscillibacter sp.,and increased some beneficial such as L.plantarum and Muribaculaceae bacterium.Transcriptomic analyses revealed that Lp84-3 and S.aureus bacteriophage activated the PI3K/AKT/GLUT4 signaling pathway and upregulated key genes of Il22,Hgf,Col6a1,Gh,Itga10,Fgf23,and Prl involved in glucose metabolism in hypothalamus.Collectively,Lp84-3 and S.aureus bacteriophage alleviate T2DM by modulating gut microbiota and enhancing glucose metabolism in hypothalamus,supporting its potential use as a promising functional compound microecological agent for alleviating T2DM.
基金This work was supported by the Western Medicine Program of the Zhejiang Provincial Health Commission(No.2024KY592)the Fundamental Research Funds for Central Universities of the Central South University(No.2-2050205-19-361),China.
文摘In the post-antibiotic era,the overuse of antimicrobials has led to a massive increase in antimicrobial resistance,leaving medical doctors few or no treatment options to fight infections caused by superbugs.The use of bacteriophages is a promising alternative to treat infections,supplementing or possibly even replacing antibiotics.Using phages for therapy is possible,since these bacterial viruses can kill bacteria specifically,causing no harm to the normal flora.However,bacteria have developed a multitude of sophisticated and complex ways to resist infection by phages,including abortive infection and the clustered regularly interspersed short palindromic repeats(CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated(Cas)system.Phages also can evolve and acquire new anti-defense strategies to continue predation.An in-depth exploration of both defense and anti-defense mechanisms would contribute to optimizing phage therapy,while we would also gain novel insights into the microbial world.In this paper,we summarize recent research on bacterial phage resistance and phage anti-defense mechanisms,as well as collaborative win-win systems involving both virus and host.
基金supported by the Basic Research Program of the Ministry of Science and Technology of China(2012CB721102)the Chinese Academy of Sciences(grant No:KJZD-EW-L02)the Key Laboratory on Emerging Infectious Diseases and Biosafety in Wuhan
文摘The year 2015 marks 100 years since Dr.Frederick Twort discovered the"filterable lytic factor",which was later independently discovered and named "bacteriophage" by Dr.Felix d’Herelle.On this memorable centennial,it is exciting to see a special issue published by Virologica Sinica on Phages and Therapy.In this issue,readers will not only fi nd that bacteriophage research is a
基金supported by the statutory funds from the Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences
文摘Acinetobacter baumannii causes serious infections especially in immunocompromised and/or hospitalized patients.Several A.baumannii strains are multidrug resistant and infect wounds,bones,and the respiratory tract.Current studies are focused on finding new effective agents against A.baumannii.Phage therapy is a promising means to fight this bacterium and many studies on procuring and applying new phages against A.baumannii are currently being conducted.As shown in animal models,phages against multidrug-resistant A.baumannii may control bacterial infections caused by this pathogen and may be a real hope to solve this dangerous health problem.
基金supported financially by the Sino-Africa Joint Research Centre (SAJC201605)the Chinese Academy of Sciences (ZDRW-ZS-2016-4)
文摘Soft rot is an economically significant disease in potato and one of the major threats to sustainable potato production.This study aimed at isolating lytic bacteriophages and evaluating methods for and the efficacy of applying phages to control potato soft rot caused by Pectobacterium carotovorum.Eleven bacteriophages isolated from soil and water samples collected in Wuhan,China,were used to infect P.carotovorum host strains isolated from potato tubers showing soft rot symptoms in Nakuru county,Kenya.The efficacy of the phages in controlling soft rot disease was evaluated by applying individual phage strains or a phage cocktail on potato slices and tubers at different time points before or after inoculation with a P.carotovorum strain.The phages could lyse 20 strains of P.carotovorum,but not Pseudomonas fluorescens control strains.Among the 11 phages,Pectobacterium phage Wc5r,interestingly showed cross-activity against Pectobacterium atrosepticum and two phage-resistant P.carotovorum strains.Potato slice assays showed that the phage concentration and timing of application are crucial factors for effective soft rot control.Phage cocktail applied at a concentration of 1×10^9 plaque-forming units per milliliter before or within an hour after bacterial inoculation on potato slices,resulted in>90%reduction of soft rot symptoms.This study provides a basis for the development and application of phages to reduce the impact of potato soft rot disease.
文摘The emergence of multidrug-resistant bacterial pathogens forced us to consider the phage therapy as one of the possible alternative approaches to treatment. The purpose of this paper is to consider the conditions for the safe, long-term use of phage therapy against various infections caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. We describe the selection of the most suitable phages, their most effective combinations and some approaches for the rapid recognition of phages unsuitable for use in therapy. The benefi ts and disadvantages of the various different approaches to the preparation of phage mixtures are considered, together with the specifi c conditions that are required for the safe application of phage therapy in general hospitals and the possibilities for the development of personalized phage therapy.
基金supported by Grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(U1803109)Key research and development plan of Jiangsu province(BE2019304)+2 种基金National Key R&D Program of China(2018YFC1602500)the Central University Basic Scientific Research Fund-Animal pathogenic bacteria(KYZ201846)Jiangsu modern agriculture(waterfowl)industrial technology system disease prevention and control innovation team(JATS[2018]222)
文摘The increasing emergence of multi-drug resistant Escherichia coli(E.coli)has become a global concern,primarily due to the limitation of antimicrobial treatment options.Phage therapy has been considered as a promising alternative for treating infections caused by multi-drug resistant E.coli.However,the application of phages as a promising antimicrobial agent is limited by their narrow host range and specificity.In this research,a recombinant T4-like phage,named WGqlae,has been obtained by changing the receptor specificity determinant region of gene 37,using a homologous recombination platform of T4-like phages established by our laboratory previously.The engineered phage WGqlae can lyse four additional hosts,comparing to its parental phages WG01 and QL01.WGqlae showed similar characteristics,including thermo and pH stability,optimal multiplicity of infection and one-step growth curve,to the donor phage QL01.In addition,sequencing results showed that gene 37 of recombinant phage WGqlae had genetically stable even after 20 generations.In planktonic test,phage WGqlae had significant antimicrobial effects on E.coli DE192 and DE205 B.The optical density at 600 nm(OD600)of E.coli in phage WGqlae treating group was significantly lower than that of the control group(P\0.01).Besides,phage WGqlae demonstrated an obvious inhibitory effect on the biofilm formation and the clearance of mature biofilms.Our study suggested that engineered phages may be promising candidates for future phage therapy applications against pathogenic E.coli in planktonic and biofilm forms.
文摘Magnetotactic bacteria(MTB)are ubiquitous prokaryotes that orient along magnetic field lines due to magnetosomes’biomineralization within the cell.These structures are ferrimagnetic organelles that impart a magnetic moment to the cell.To succeed in producing magnetosomes,MTB accumulate iron in(i)cytoplasm;(ⅱ)magnetosomes;and(ⅲ)nearby the organelle.It has already been estimated that a single MTB has an iron content of 10 to 100-fold higher than Escherichia coli.Phages are the most abundant entity in oceans and are known for controlling nutrient flow such as carbon and nitrogen by viral shunt and pump.The current work addresses the putative role of phages that infect MTB on the iron biogeochemical cycle.Can phage infection in MTB hosts cause a biogenic iron fertilization-like event in localized microenvironments?Are phages critical players in driving magnetosome biomineralization genes(BGs)horizontal transfer?Further investigation of those events,including frequency of occurrence,is necessary to fully comprehend MTB’s effect on iron cycling in aqueous environments.
文摘Both the antigen presenting ability and the cytotoxicity of macrophages can be enhanced by GMCSF gene transfer. In the present study, the therapeutic effect of intratumoral injection with GMCSF genemodified allogenic macrophages on tumorbearing mice observed. The peritoneal macrophages of C57BL/6 mice were transfected with GMCSF gene mediated by recombinant adenovirus and the subcutaneous CT26 colon adenocarcinomabearing BALB/c mice were treated by intratumoral injection of the above macrophages. The survival time of the tumorbearing mice were prolonged significantly and some tumor mass disappeared completely. The necroses of the tumor cells and massive infiltration of inflammatory cells were observed 6 days after treatment. 30 days after treatment, only the leftover of tumor cells and the inflammatory cells remained. The data indicated that introtumoral injection of GMCSF genemodified allogenic macrophages displayed more potent therapeutic effect on the preestablished tumorbearing mice.
文摘Hepatitis B virus(HBV) infection is a major global health challenge leading to serious disorders such as cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Currently, there exist various diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for HBV infection. However, prevalence and hazardous effects of chronic viral infection heighten the need to develop novel methodologies for the detection and treatment of this infection. Bacteriophages, viruses that specifically infect bacterial cells, with a long-established tradition in molecular biology and biotechnology have recently been introduced as novel tools for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of HBV infection. Bacteriophages, due to tremendous genetic flexibility, represent potential to undergo a huge variety of surface modifications. This property has been the rationale behind introduction of phage display concept. This powerful approach, together with combinatorial chemistry, has shaped the concept of phage display libraries with diverse applications for the detection and therapy of HBV infection. This review aims to offer an insightful overview of the potential of bacteriophages in the development of helpful prophylactic(vaccine design), diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for HBV infection thereby providing new perspec-tives to the growing field of bacteriophage researches directing towards HBV infection.
基金the National Public Science and Technology Research Funds Projects of Ocean(Grant No.201405003-3)
文摘In recent years, the development of antibiotic resistant bacteria has become a global concern which has prompted research into the development of alternative disease control strategies for the swine industry. Bacteriophages （viruses that infect bacteria） offer the prospect of a sustainable alternative approach against bacterial pathogens with the flexibility of being applied therapeutically or for biological control purposes. This paper reviews the use of phages as an antimicrobial strategy for controlling critical pathogens including Salmonella and Eschefich[a coli with an emphasis on the application of phages for improving performance and nutrient digestibility in swine operations as well as in controlling zoonotic human diseases by reducing the bacterial load spread from pork products to humans through the meat,
基金funded by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31872911)the National Key Research Program of China (2018YFC1603800)。
文摘Salmonella and their biofilm formation are the primary bacterial causes of foodborne outbreaks and crosscontamination. The objective of the study was to investigate the potential of Salmonella phages as an alternative technology for biofilm removal. In this work, 21 Salmonella phages were isolated from a chicken farm and slaughter plant and the phage(CW1)with the broadest spectrum was characterized. Complete genome sequence analysis revealed that the genomes of phage CW1 is composed of 41 763 bp with 58 open reading frames(ORFs)and a holin-endolysin system and it does not encode any virulence or lysogeny. A phage cocktail consisted of CW1(with the broadest spectrum of 70.49%)and CW11, M4 and M10(with a high lytic activity of more than 67.11%)was established. Treatment with the cocktail reduced the cells in the developing biofilm and mature biofilm by 0.79 lg(CFU/cm~2)and 0.4 lg(CFU/cm~2), respectively. More dead cells and scattered extracellular polymeric substances(EPS)were observed by confocal laser scanning microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Raman analysis found that carbohydrates and proteins were the identification receptors for scattered EPS. This finding suggests that this phage cockta il has potential applications for the sterilization of Salmonella biofilm during meat processing.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31160121,31360129)the China Scholarship Council
文摘Dear Editor,Viruses are the most abundant,diverse,and ubiquitous entities(approximately 1031)on Earth.They play major roles in horizontal gene transfer,the regulation of bacterial community structures,as well as nutrient and energy cycles of marine ecosystems(Danovaro et al.,2008).In particular,lytic bacteriophages(phages)can infect and kill bacteria without harming human or
基金supported by grants from the China Mega-Project on Infectious Disease Prevention (No. 2013ZX10004-605, No. 2013ZX10004-607, No. 2013ZX10004-217, and No. 2011ZX10004-001)the National Hi-Tech Research and Development (863) Program of China (No. 2014AA021402, 2012AA022-003)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81572045)
文摘Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA) is an increasing cause of serious infection,both in the community and hospital settings. Despite sophisticated strategies and efforts, the antibiotic options for treating MRSA infection are narrowing because of the limited number of newly developed antimicrobials. Here, four newly-isolated MRSA-virulent phages, IME-SA1, IMESA2, IME-SA118 and IME-SA119, were sequenced and analyzed. Their genome termini were identified using our previously proposed "termini analysis theory". We provide evidence that remarkable conserved terminus sequences are found in IME-SA1/2/118/119, and, moreover, are widespread throughout Twortlikevirus Staphylococcus phage G1 and K species. Results also suggested that each phage of the two species has conserved 5′ terminus while the 3′ terminus is variable. More importantly, a variable region with a specific pattern was found to be present near the conserved terminus of Twortlikevirus S. phage G1 species. The clone with the longest variable region had variable terminus lengths in successive generations, while the clones with the shortest variable region and with the average length variable region maintained the same terminal length as themselves during successive generations. IME-SA1 bacterial infection experiments showed that the variation is not derived from adaptation of the phage to different host strains. This is the first study of the conserved terminus and variable region of Twortlikevirus S. phages.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation(31600148)the Shandong Excellent Young Scientist Award Fund(BS2014YY031).
文摘Prophages are temperate phages integrated into the host bacterial genome.They play an important role in the adaptation and the pathogenicity of bacteria,especially pathogenic bacteria.In this review,we described the distribution of prophages in different hosts and different environments,and focused on the significance of prophages.At the singlecell level,prophages can help the host adapt to harsh external environments by directly carrying virulence genes,encoding regulatory factors and activating lysogeny.At the population level,prophages can influence the overall evolutionary direction and ecological function of the host bacterial community.This review will help us understand the important role of prophages as unique organisms in individual bacteria and microbial populations.
文摘The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) is the concentration at which an antibacterial agent experiences the complete inhibition of organism growth. Bacteriophages represent a rich and unique resource of anti-infectives to counter the growing world-wide problem of antibiotic resistance. In this study, we compared the host range of lytic bacteriophages and temperate phagesbelonging to various genera, namely Staphylococcus, E. coli and Salmonella, with a range of clinical isolates using two methods: the classical agar overlay method and a newly developed MIC method. MIC was only observed with isolates that were susceptible to phage infection, which correlated with the agar overlay assay, whereas no MIC was detected with isolates that were resistant to phage infection. The simple MIC method was useful in determining phage adsorption and host range, and detecting possible prophage contamination in phage preparations. Interestingly, this method was also applicable to strain differentiation through phage susceptibility testing using a 96-well, high throughput format that proved to be easy, cost-effective, fast and reliable.
文摘Bacteriophages represent a rich and unique resource of anti-infectives to counter the global problem of antibiotic resis- tance. In this work, we assessed the bactericidal activity of two virulent staphylococcal phages, K and 44AHJD, against S. aureus isolates of clinical significance, and tested their efficacy in vivo. The phage cocktail lysed >85% of the clinical isolates tested. Both the phages were purified by ion-exchange column chromatography following propagation in bioreactors. The purity profiles of the ion-exchange purified phages were compared with those of phages purified using cesium chloride density gradient ultracentrifugation, and infectiousness of the purified phages was confirmed by plaque forming assay. The in vivo efficacy of a phage cocktail was evaluated in an experimental murine nasal colonization model, which showed that the phage cocktail was efficacious. To our knowledge, this is the first report of phage use in an in vivo model of nasal carriage.
基金funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(32371687).
文摘Impact statement.Evolutionary training of phages can help to counter bacterial resistance evolution.Here,we address whether metapopulation processes can enhance the evolution of phage infectivity.Our experiment with a model bacterium-phage system supported a prediction of long-term fluctuating selection dynamics.Specifically,metapopulations of several small habitats showed greater total infectivity ranges by supporting more diverse phages,compared with single large populations.
