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Lytic Capsule-Specific Acinetobacter Bacteriophages Encoding Polysaccharide-Degrading Enzymes.
Peter V Evseev1,2,3, Anastasia S Sukhova2, Nikolay A Tkachenko1
1Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia.
Viruses
|May 25, 2024
Summary
This study analyzes bacteriophage tailspike proteins targeting Acinetobacter capsular polysaccharides. It predicts the specificity of 63 tailspike proteins, aiding in phage therapy development against Acinetobacter infections.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Bacteriology
- Virology
Background:
- Acinetobacter species, including the critical pathogen Acinetobacter baumannii, cause hospital-acquired infections.
- Bacterial capsular polysaccharides (CPSs) are key virulence factors and targets for bacteriophage therapy.
- Capsule-specific bacteriophages utilize tailspike proteins (TSPs) to degrade bacterial CPSs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To comprehensively analyze Acinetobacter-infecting bacteriophage genomes and their TSPs.
- To predict the CPS specificity of TSPs from Acinetobacter phages.
- To understand the evolutionary relationships and potential for genetic exchange among TSPs.
Main Methods:
- Bioinformatic analysis of Acinetobacter phage genomes from NCBI GenBank (up to January 2024).
- Prediction of TSP specificity against various Acinetobacter capsular types.
- Phylogenetic analysis of TSPs to infer evolutionary relationships.
Main Results:
- 143 Acinetobacter phages and 149 TSPs were identified.
- Capsular specificity of 46 TSPs was previously known; 63 new specificities were predicted.
- Phylogenetic analysis supported TSP specificity predictions and indicated horizontal gene transfer.
Conclusions:
- This work expands the knowledge of Acinetobacter phage TSPs and their specificities.
- Predicted TSPs can guide the selection and engineering of phages for therapeutic applications against Acinetobacter.
- Understanding TSP evolution aids in developing robust phage-based antimicrobial strategies.
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