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Chimeric infective particles expand species boundaries in phage-inducible chromosomal island mobilization

Lingchen He1, Jonasz B Patkowski2, Jinlong Wang1

  • 1Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK; Centre for Bacterial Resistance Biology, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK.

Cell
|September 10, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Mobile genetic elements called capsid-forming phage-inducible chromosomal islands (cf-PICIs) spread between bacteria using novel mechanisms. These elements form their own capsids and use phage tails to transfer DNA across species.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Mobile genetic elements facilitate bacterial evolution and adaptation.
  • Phage satellites are genetic elements that depend on helper phages for replication and transfer.
  • The dissemination mechanisms of many mobile genetic elements remain poorly understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify and characterize the novel biological entity responsible for the widespread dissemination of capsid-forming phage-inducible chromosomal islands (cf-PICIs).
  • To elucidate the structure and formation mechanism of cf-PICIs.
  • To understand how cf-PICIs transfer genetic material across unrelated bacterial species.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative genomics to identify cf-PICIs across bacterial species.
  • Structural biology techniques to determine the structure of cf-PICIs.
  • In vitro assays to study the interaction between cf-PICIs and phage tails.
  • Microscopy to visualize cf-PCI formation and packaging.

Main Results:

  • Identical cf-PICIs are found across multiple bacterial species and genera.
  • cf-PICIs autonomously produce capsids and package their DNA, forming tailless, non-infective particles.
  • These cf-PCI capsids interact with various phage tails, forming chimeric particles for interspecies DNA transfer.
  • The structure of the tailless cf-PICIs and their capsid formation mechanism were elucidated.

Conclusions:

  • cf-PICIs utilize a unique mechanism involving self-assembled capsids and exogenous phage tails for widespread dissemination.
  • This novel transfer mechanism contributes to bacterial evolution and the emergence of new pathogens.
  • Understanding cf-PCI biology offers insights into mobile genetic element dynamics and horizontal gene transfer.
Keywords:
capsid assemblycf-PICIgene transferhijackinghost rangephage packagingphage tails

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