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Coordination of cohabiting phage elements supports bacteria-phage cooperation

Tal Argov1, Shai Ran Sapir1, Anna Pasechnek1

  • 1The School of Molecular Cell Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel.

Nature Communications
|November 23, 2019
PubMed

Insights

In Listeria monocytogenes, a bacteriocin locus co-regulates two phage elements. This locus controls prophage induction via a metalloprotease, acting as a virulence switch.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Bacterial pathogens frequently harbor multiple prophages and phage-derived elements.
  • Some of these elements can produce viral particles under stress conditions.
  • Listeria monocytogenes 10403S contains two chromosomal phage elements: an active prophage (ϕ10403S) and a bacteriocin locus.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the co-regulation of phage elements in Listeria monocytogenes.
  • To elucidate the molecular mechanism by which these elements are controlled under stress.
  • To understand the role of the bacteriocin locus in prophage induction and virulence.

Main Methods:

  • Stress induction assays.
  • Gene expression analysis.
  • Identification of regulatory proteins and their targets.

Main Results:

  • The bacteriocin locus and the prophage (ϕ10403S) are co-regulated.
  • A metalloprotease from the bacteriocin locus is upregulated under stress.
  • This metalloprotease acts as an anti-repressor, de-repressing CI-like repressors of both phage elements.

Conclusions:

  • The bacteriocin locus controls the induction of the prophage, functioning as a virulence-associated molecular switch.
  • This provides molecular insight into the adaptation of polylysogenic bacteria to environmental stress.
  • The findings highlight the complex interplay between phage elements within a bacterial genome.

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