Phage tailspike modularity and horizontal gene transfer reveals specificity towards E. coli O-antigen serogroups

Virology Journal

Research

Lars Fieseler¹  Célia Pas²  Yves Briers²  Agnieszka Latka³ 

[1] Centre for Food Safety and Quality Management, ZHAW School of Life Sciences and Facility Management, Einsiedlerstrasse 31, 8820, Wädenswil, Switzerland;Department of Biotechnology, Ghent University, Valentin Vaerwyckweg 1, 9000, Ghent, Belgium;Department of Biotechnology, Ghent University, Valentin Vaerwyckweg 1, 9000, Ghent, Belgium;Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, University of Wroclaw, Przybyszewskiego 63, 51-148, Wrocław, Poland;

关键词: Escherichia coli;    Tailspike;    Receptor-binding protein (RBP);    Horizontal gene transfer (HGT);    Modular protein;    Phage–host interaction;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12985-023-02138-4

 received in 2023-04-24, accepted in 2023-07-23,  发布年份 2023

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundThe interaction between bacteriophages and their hosts is intricate and highly specific. Receptor-binding proteins (RBPs) of phages such as tail fibers and tailspikes initiate the infection process. These RBPs bind to diverse outer membrane structures, including the O-antigen, which is a serogroup-specific sugar-based component of the outer lipopolysaccharide layer of Gram-negative bacteria. Among the most virulent Escherichia coli strains is the Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) pathotype dominated by a subset of O-antigen serogroups.MethodsExtensive phylogenetic and structural analyses were used to identify and validate specificity correlations between phage RBP subtypes and STEC O-antigen serogroups, relying on the principle of horizontal gene transfer as main driver for RBP evolution.ResultsWe identified O-antigen specific RBP subtypes for seven out of nine most prevalent STEC serogroups (O26, O45, O103, O104, O111, O145 and O157) and seven additional E. coli serogroups (O2, O8, O16, O18, 4s/O22, O77 and O78). Eight phage genera (Gamaleya-, Justusliebig-, Kaguna-, Kayfuna-, Kutter-, Lederberg-, Nouzilly- and Uetakeviruses) emerged for their high proportion of serogroup-specific RBPs. Additionally, we reveal sequence motifs in the RBP region, potentially serving as recombination hotspots between lytic phages.ConclusionThe results contribute to a better understanding of mosaicism of phage RBPs, but also demonstrate a method to identify and validate new RBP subtypes for current and future emerging serogroups.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature 2023

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