Mechanism of Pasteurella multocida Lysis by Virulent Phage vB_PmuP_Pa7: Insights from a Strand-Specific Transcriptome...

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Molecular Biology
• Genomics

Background:

• Virulent phage vB_PmuP_Pa7 shows potential for controlling Pasteurella multocida infections.
• The molecular mechanisms underlying the lytic process of phage Pa7 are not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize the phage-host transcriptional dynamics during Pa7 infection of P. multocida.
• To identify host pathways involved in the phage infection and lysis process.

Main Methods:

• Strand-specific RNA sequencing was performed on P. multocida S34 at multiple time points post-infection with Pa7 (0, 20, 30, and 120 min).
• Differential gene expression analysis, Principal Component Analysis (PCA), and correlation analysis were used to assess transcriptional shifts.
• Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses were conducted.
• Reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was used to validate the expression patterns of selected genes.

Main Results:

• A progressive increase in differentially expressed genes (DEGs) was observed over time (234 at 20 min, 433 at 30 min, 558 at 120 min), indicating significant host reprogramming.
• Stage-specific transcriptional shifts were confirmed by PCA and expression analysis.
• Pa7 infection significantly altered pathways related to translation, ribosome function, ABC transporters, carbohydrate metabolism, bacterial chemotaxis, and the TCA cycle.
• RT-qPCR results partially corroborated the RNA-seq findings for selected genes.

Conclusions:

• This study provides a time-resolved transcriptional profile of P. multocida during Pa7 infection.
• Key host pathways potentially involved in phage infection and bacterial lysis were identified.
• Further experimental validation is required to determine the direct functional roles of these identified genes and pathways in the phage-host interaction.