一株强裂解性大肠杆菌T1样噬菌体新成员的分离与鉴定

【目的】自然界中噬菌体种类繁多,其裂菌功能在针对细菌耐药方面具有潜在应用价值。不同噬菌体也呈现出显著的基因多样性及宿主特异性。从上海某猪场仔猪肠内容物样品中分离、纯化大肠杆菌的裂解性噬菌体,分析其生物学特性和病毒学特征,为探索应用噬菌体治疗细菌性感染提供研究材料。【方法】采用双层琼脂平板法分离、纯化噬菌体,观察噬菌斑特征,通过电镜观察噬菌体形态特征,测定其裂菌谱、最佳感染复数、一步生长曲线和生物学特性,进行噬菌体全基因组测序和遗传进化分析。【结果】分离、纯化获得一株能高效裂解大肠杆菌K-12菌株的噬菌体,命名为v B_Eco S_SH2(SH2),噬菌斑呈圆形、大而透明、边缘整齐。电镜观察SH2的头部呈二十面体立体对称,尾部较长。噬菌体的潜伏期为10 min,暴发期为60 min,裂解量高达121 PFU/感染细胞,其最佳感染复数为0.1。基因组测序和比对结果表明,SH2的核酸类型为ds DNA,基因组全长为49 088 bp,G+C%含量为45%,Gen Bank登录号为KY985004,结合电镜观察及BLASTp分析,确定其属于有尾噬菌体目长尾噬菌体科成员。同源性及进化分析表明,该噬菌体为大肠杆菌T1样噬菌体的新成员。【结论】分离鉴定了一株裂解效率极高的大肠杆菌T1样噬菌体,并确认其为T1样噬菌体新成员,为研究大肠杆菌噬菌体及其抗菌应用提供了新的实验材料。     

PB1样铜绿假单胞菌噬菌体PHW2的生物学特性

【背景】铜绿假单胞菌(Pseudomonas aeruginosa)是一种引起医院感染、急性感染和慢性感染的常见条件致病菌。多重耐药铜绿假单胞菌仍然是引起严重医院感染的常见病菌,其临床治疗面临严峻挑战。噬菌体具有特异性杀菌的能力,在防治铜绿假单胞菌耐药菌方面具有应用前景。【目的】分离能裂解碳青霉烯类耐药的铜绿假单胞菌的噬菌体,分析其生物学特性和基因组特征,为噬菌体治疗储备资源。【方法】采集环境水样,用双层琼脂平板法分离噬菌体,对其形态、一步生长曲线、感染复数等生物学特性进行研究;使用IlluminaMiSeq平台测定噬菌体的全基因组序列,利用Newbler3.0、GeneMarkS、BLASTp、Mauve2.4.0等生物信息软件进行拼接、注释和比较基因组学分析。【结果】分离到一株噬菌体PHW2,该噬菌体属肌尾病毒科成员,可裂解7株碳青霉烯类耐药的铜绿假单胞菌;其最佳感染复数为0.1。一步生长曲线结果显示,其感染宿主菌PA001的潜伏期为100 min,裂解期为360 min,裂解量为25 PFU/cell;噬菌体PHW2在温度25-50℃和pH 6.0-8.0范围内稳定;紫外照射7 ...     

一株新分离的肠杆菌噬菌体的快速遗传鉴定及其宿主识别基因的快速克隆

以大肠杆菌8099为宿主自医院污水中分离出一株肠杆菌噬菌体IME08,其遗传物质经RNA酶、DNA酶处理证实其为DNA,用限制性内切酶处理该DNA证实其为双链DNA。利用随机引物PCR技术扩增并克隆该噬菌体基因组的随机片段,经测序后同源比对,判断该噬菌体是一株新的T4-like噬菌体。根据4株T4-like噬菌体 (T4,JS98,T2及K3) 宿主识别基因 (g37) 5'端的高度保守序列,采用随机PCR与巢式PCR结合的“基因组跳跃”策略快速克隆出了该噬菌体的宿主识别基因g37和g38。     

Plasticity of the gene functions for DNA replication in the T4-like phages

We have completely sequenced and annotated the genomes of several relatives of the bacteriophage T4, including three coliphages (RB43, RB49 and RB69), three Aeromonas salmonicida phages (44RR2.8t, 25 and 31) and one Aeromonas hydrophila phage (Aeh1). In addition, we have partially sequenced and annotated the T4-like genomes of coliphage RB16 (a close relative of RB43), A. salmonicida phage 65, Acinetobacter johnsonii phage 133 and Vibrio natriegens phage nt-1. Each of these phage genomes exhibited a unique sequence that distinguished it from its relatives, although there were examples of genomes that are very similar to each other. As a group the phages compared here diverge from one another by several criteria, including (a) host range, (b) genome size in the range between approximately 160 kb and approximately 250 kb, (c) content and genetic organization of their T4-like genes for DNA metabolism, (d) mutational drift of the predicted T4-like gene products and their regulatory sites and (e) content of open-reading frames that have no counterparts in T4 or other known organisms (novel ORFs). We have observed a number of DNA rearrangements of the T4 genome type, some exhibiting proximity to putative homing endonuclease genes. Also, we cite and discuss examples of sequence divergence in the predicted sites for protein-protein and protein-nucleic acid interactions of homologues of the T4 DNA replication proteins, with emphasis on the diversity in sequence, molecular form and regulation of the phage-encoded DNA polymerase, gp43. Five of the sequenced phage genomes are predicted to encode split forms of this polymerase. Our studies suggest that the modular construction and plasticity of the T4 genome type and several of its replication proteins may offer resilience to mutation, including DNA rearrangements, and facilitate the adaptation of T4-like phages to different bacterial hosts in nature.     

Relationship between phage resistance and emulsan production,interaction of phages with the cell-surface of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus RAG-1

The hydrocarbon-degrading strain Acinetobacter calcoaceticus RAG-1 produces an extracellular emulsifying agent capable of forming stable oil-in-water emulsions. The bioemulsifier, termed emulsan, is a polyanionic heteropolysaccharide (M.W. 10⁶) composed mainly of N-acyl D-galactosamine and an N-acyl hexosamine uronic acid. In order to probe the interaction of emulsan with the cell surface prior to its release into the growth medium, two new virulent bacteriophages for A. calcoaceticus RAG-1 were isolated from sewage and the properties of phage resistant mutants were studied. The two phages, ap-2 and ap-3, were differentiated on the basis of plaque morphology, electron microscopy and buoyant density. Isolated mutants of A. calcoaceticus RAG-1 which were resistant to one of the two phages retained sensitivity to the other phage. Resistance to phage ap-3 was accompanied by a severe drop in emulsan production. Independently isolated derivatives of A. calcoaceticus RAG-1 with a defect in emulsan production also turned out to be resistant towards phage ap-3. Antibodies prepared against purified emulsan specifically inhibited phage ap-3 adsorption to the cell surface of the parental strain.     

The gene for Klebsiella bacteriophage K11 RNA polymerase: sequence and comparison with the homologous genes of phages T7, T3, and SP6

Summary We determined the nucleotide sequence of gene 1 of Klebsiella phage K11, which is a member of the T7 group of phages. The largest open reading frame corresponds to a polypeptide with 906 amino acids and a molecular weight of 100383 daltons. The deduced amino acid sequence of this polypeptide shows 71% homology to the T7 RNA polymerase (the product of T7 gene 1), 72% homology to the T3 RNA polymerase and 27% homology to the SP6 RNA polymerase. Divergent evolution was clearly most pronounced in the amino-terminal portion.     

Recombination of T4-like Phages and Its Activity against Pathogenic Escherichia coli in Planktonic and Biofilm Forms

Virologica Sinica - 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....     

Lessons from the lysozyme of phage T4

An overview is presented of some of the major insights that have come from studies of the structure, stability, and folding of T4 phage lysozyme. A major purpose of this review is to provide the reader with a complete tabulation of all of the variants that have been characterized, including melting temperatures, crystallographic data, Protein Data Bank access codes, and references to the original literature. The greatest increase in melting temperature (T_m) for any point mutant is 5.1°C for the mutant Ser 117 → Val. This is achieved in part not only by hydrophobic stabilization but also by eliminating an unusually short hydrogen bond of 2.48 Å that apparently has an unfavorable van der Waals contact. Increases in T_m of more than 3–4°C for point mutants are rare, whereas several different types of destabilizing substitutions decrease T_m by 20°C or thereabouts. The energetic cost of cavity creation and its relation to the hydrophobic effect, derived from early studies of “large‐to‐small” mutants in the core of T4 lysozyme, has recently been strongly supported by related studies of the intrinsic membrane protein bacteriorhodopsin. The L99A cavity in the C‐terminal domain of the protein, which readily binds benzene and many other ligands, has been the subject of extensive study. Crystallographic evidence, together with recent NMR analysis, suggest that these ligands are admitted by a conformational change involving Helix F and its neighbors. A total of 43 nonisomorphous crystal forms of different monomeric lysozyme mutants were obtained plus three more for synthetically‐engineered dimers. Among the 43 space groups, P2₁2₁2₁ and P2₁ were observed most frequently, consistent with the prediction of Wukovitz and Yeates.     

Molecular organisation of the plant genome: Its relation to structure,recombination and evolution of chromosomes

Large scale changes in nuclear DNA amount accompany the evolution of species of higher plants. Much of the nuclear DNA accrued during the evolution of species does not encode genetic information and is selectively neutral. Nonetheless, the pattern of distribution of the excess DNA within and between chromosome complements suggests that there are rigid constraints underlying evolutionary changes in genome organisation. A five-fold increase in the amount of nuclear DNA has occurred in the evolution ofLathyrus species. Not withstanding this massive DNA variation, species show consistently similar patterns in base sequence proliferation, divergence and DNA distribution within and between chromosome complements. Within chromosome complements, the excess DNA is distributed evenly in all chromosomes irrespective of the large differences in chromosome size and, between complements, DNA distribution is discontinuous; species cluster into DNA groups with remarkably regular intervals. Similar constraints govern the frequency and distribution of chiasmata in the chromosome complements. Between species chiasma frequency and nuclear DNA amounts are not correlated but within complements it is positively correlated with the amount of DNA contained in each chromosome.     

Hoc protein regulates the biological effects of T4 phage in mammals

We previously investigated the biological, non-antibacterial effects of bacteriophage T4 in mammals (binding to cancer cells in vitro and attenuating tumour growth and metastases in vivo); we selected the phage mutant HAP1 that was significantly more effective than T4. In this study we describe a non-sense mutation in the hoc gene that differentiates bacteriophage HAP1 and its parental strain T4. We found no substantial effects of the mutation on the mutant morphology, and its effects on electrophoretic mobility and hydrodynamic size were moderate. Only the high ionic strength of the environment resulted in a size difference of about 10 nm between T4 and HAP1. We compared the antimetastatic activity of the T2 phage, which does not express protein Hoc, with those of T4 and HAP1 (B16 melanoma lung colonies). We found that HAP1 and T2 decreased metastases with equal effect, more strongly than did T4. We also investigated concentrations of T4 and HAP1 in the murine blood, tumour (B16), spleen, liver, or muscle. We found that HAP1 was rapidly cleared from the organism, most probably by the liver. Although HAP1 was previously defined to bind cancer cells more effectively (than T4), its rapid elimination precluded its higher concentration in tumours. Maria Zembala and Janusz Boratynski contributed equally to this work.     

Characterization of a novel T4-type Stenotrophomonas maltophilia virulent phage Smp14

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (Sm), with most of the isolates being resistant to multidrugs, is an opportunistic bacterium causing nosocomial infections. In this study, a novel virulent Sm phage, Smp14, was characterized. Electron microscopy showed that Smp14 resembled members of Myoviridae and adsorbed to poles of the host cells during infection. It lysed 37 of 87 clinical Sm isolates in spot test, displayed a latent period of ca. 20 min, and had a burst size of ca. 150. Its genome (estimated to be 160 kb by PFGE), containing m4C and two unknown modified bases other than m5C and m6A as identified by HPLC, resisted to digestion with many restriction endonucleases except MseI. These properties indicate that it is a novel Sm phage distinct from the previously reported phiSMA5 which has a genome of 250 kb digestible with various restriction enzymes. Sequencing of a 16 kb region revealed 12 ORFs encoding structural proteins sharing 15-45% identities with the homologues from T4-type phages. SDS-PAGE displayed 20 virion proteins, with the most abundant one being the 39 kDa major capsid protein (gp23), which had the N-terminal 52 amino acids removed. Phylogenetic analysis based on gp23 classified Smp14 into a novel single-membered T4-type subgroup.     

诺卡氏菌烈性噬菌体vB_Ncarnea_KYD1的分离纯化与基因组分析

【背景】诺卡氏菌是一种广泛分布的好氧放线菌,可在人体内引起局部或播散性感染,尤其是在免疫功能低下的个体中。诺卡氏菌感染在临床上较难鉴定,而且不断有新型诺卡氏菌种被发现。不同类型、不同地域的诺卡氏菌具有流行差异和抗生素敏感性差异,阻碍了适当治疗方式的选择。利用病灶处的宿主菌分离得到噬菌体来控制诺卡氏菌感染的这种方法在近年来受到了各界的关注。【目的】尝试从环境中分离出能够用于临床治疗的针对诺卡氏菌的烈性噬菌体,并研究其基因组学特征。【方法】利用双层平板法分离得到目标噬菌体,观察其噬菌斑形态,并对噬菌体进行分离纯化,在透射电镜下鉴定其特征。提取噬菌体DNA进行全基因组测序与注释,并与数据库内已知噬菌体基因组进行比较,同时构建系统进化树以进行遗传进化分析。【结果】本文以肉色诺卡氏菌为宿主,从环境样本中分离出一株烈性噬菌体vB_Ncarnea_KYD1,在双层平板上可形成直径<2 mm的透亮均匀的噬菌斑。基因组分析表明,vB_Ncarnea_KYD1DNA为环状,大小为66 621 bp,共发现102个蛋白质编码区(coding sequence,CDS)及一个tRNA-Ser编码序列。透射电镜观察与系统进化树综合分析可以确定,vB_Ncarnea_KYD1为长尾噬菌体科的一个新属。其在进化过程中经历了复杂的基因重组过程。暂未发现毒力因子相关基因与抗性基因,具备实用价值。【结论】从环境水体中分离出一株烈性肉色诺卡氏菌噬菌体vB_Ncarnea_KYD1,通过电镜观察与基因组分析可知,此株噬菌体为长尾噬菌体,基因组中暂未发现不利于临床应用的相关基因,是一株相对安全的烈性诺卡氏菌噬菌体。研究结果丰富了国内噬菌体资源库,并为后续诺卡氏菌感染疾病的治疗提供支持。     

Alterations in the cell envelope of Escherichia coli late in bacteriophage T4 infection

The cell envelope of Escherichia coli was examined for changes during late stages of bacteriophage T4 infection. Late events in T4 infection are shown to result in (i) a reduction in the effectiveness of membrane separation procedures employing either isopycnic sucrose gradient centrifugation or selective solubilization of inner membrane by detergent (Sarkosyl or Triton X-100), (ii) the appearance of a 54 000 dalton host protein in membrane preparations, (iii) the adventitious presence of detergent-resistant phage morphogenetic structures in membrane preparations, and (iv) a decrease in the activity of NADH oxidase and an apparent alteration in its association with inner membrane. These modifications occur regardless of the state of the $\text{e}$ and $\text{t}$ genes of T4.     

A comparison of the phage T4 gene 32 protein and Escherichia coli RNA polymerase binding sites on hamster papovavirus DNA

Phage T4 gene 32 protein and Escherichia coli RNA polymerase were bound to hamster papovavirus DNA. The binding regions were identified by electron microscopy employing a protein-free spreading technique. After gene 32 protein treatment four denaturation regions could be mapped, at 0.04–0.12, 0.30–0.36, 0.50–0.60 and 0.75–0.90 DNA map units, respectively, using the unique BamHI cleavage site as zero point. Eight RNA polymerase binding sites can be found which are localized at positions 0.05; 0.11; 0.18; 0.31; 0.57; 0.66; 0.76 and 0.82. A comparison of the RNA polymerase binding sites with the gene 32 protein denaturation pattern reveals a correspondence of six of eight polymerase binding sites with (A + T)-rich regions within the hamster papovavirus genome.