Inovirus-Encoded Peptides Induce Specific Toxicity in <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i>
<i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> is a common opportunistic pathogen associated with nosocomial infections. The primary treatment for infections typically involves antibiotics, which can lead to the emergence of multidrug-resistant strains. Therefore, there is a pressing need for safe and ef...
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2025-01-01
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| author | Juehua Weng Yunxue Guo Jiayu Gu Ran Chen Xiaoxue Wang |
| author_facet | Juehua Weng Yunxue Guo Jiayu Gu Ran Chen Xiaoxue Wang |
| author_sort | Juehua Weng |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> is a common opportunistic pathogen associated with nosocomial infections. The primary treatment for infections typically involves antibiotics, which can lead to the emergence of multidrug-resistant strains. Therefore, there is a pressing need for safe and effective alternative methods. Phage therapy stands out as a promising approach. However, filamentous prophages (Pfs) commonly found in <i>P. aeruginosa</i> encode genes with phage defense activity, thereby reducing the efficacy of phage therapy. Through a genomic analysis of the Pf4 prophage, we identified a 102 bp gene co-transcribed with the upstream gene responsible for phage release (<i>zot</i> gene), giving rise to a 33-amino-acid polypeptide that we have named Pf4-encoded toxic polypeptide (PftP4). The overexpression of PftP4 demonstrated cellular toxicity in <i>P. aeruginosa</i>, with subcellular localization indicating its presence in the cell membrane and a subsequent increase in membrane permeability. Notably, PftP4 homologues are found in multiple Pf phages and exhibit specificity in their toxicity towards <i>P. aeruginosa</i> among the tested bacterial strains. Our study reveals that the novel Pf-encoded polypeptide PftP4 has the potential to selectively target and eradicate <i>P. aeruginosa</i>, offering valuable insights for combating <i>P. aeruginosa</i> infections. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1885b3840d17493282a42d7faa732785 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1999-4915 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Viruses |
| spelling | doaj-art-1885b3840d17493282a42d7faa7327852025-01-24T13:52:38ZengMDPI AGViruses1999-49152025-01-0117111210.3390/v17010112Inovirus-Encoded Peptides Induce Specific Toxicity in <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i>Juehua Weng0Yunxue Guo1Jiayu Gu2Ran Chen3Xiaoxue Wang4Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 511458, ChinaKey Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 511458, ChinaKey Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 511458, ChinaKey Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 511458, ChinaKey Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 511458, China<i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> is a common opportunistic pathogen associated with nosocomial infections. The primary treatment for infections typically involves antibiotics, which can lead to the emergence of multidrug-resistant strains. Therefore, there is a pressing need for safe and effective alternative methods. Phage therapy stands out as a promising approach. However, filamentous prophages (Pfs) commonly found in <i>P. aeruginosa</i> encode genes with phage defense activity, thereby reducing the efficacy of phage therapy. Through a genomic analysis of the Pf4 prophage, we identified a 102 bp gene co-transcribed with the upstream gene responsible for phage release (<i>zot</i> gene), giving rise to a 33-amino-acid polypeptide that we have named Pf4-encoded toxic polypeptide (PftP4). The overexpression of PftP4 demonstrated cellular toxicity in <i>P. aeruginosa</i>, with subcellular localization indicating its presence in the cell membrane and a subsequent increase in membrane permeability. Notably, PftP4 homologues are found in multiple Pf phages and exhibit specificity in their toxicity towards <i>P. aeruginosa</i> among the tested bacterial strains. Our study reveals that the novel Pf-encoded polypeptide PftP4 has the potential to selectively target and eradicate <i>P. aeruginosa</i>, offering valuable insights for combating <i>P. aeruginosa</i> infections.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/17/1/112<i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i>Pf filamentous phageantimicrobial polypeptideprophage |
| spellingShingle | Juehua Weng Yunxue Guo Jiayu Gu Ran Chen Xiaoxue Wang Inovirus-Encoded Peptides Induce Specific Toxicity in <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> Viruses <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> Pf filamentous phage antimicrobial polypeptide prophage |
| title | Inovirus-Encoded Peptides Induce Specific Toxicity in <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> |
| title_full | Inovirus-Encoded Peptides Induce Specific Toxicity in <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> |
| title_fullStr | Inovirus-Encoded Peptides Induce Specific Toxicity in <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> |
| title_full_unstemmed | Inovirus-Encoded Peptides Induce Specific Toxicity in <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> |
| title_short | Inovirus-Encoded Peptides Induce Specific Toxicity in <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> |
| title_sort | inovirus encoded peptides induce specific toxicity in i pseudomonas aeruginosa i |
| topic | <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> Pf filamentous phage antimicrobial polypeptide prophage |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/17/1/112 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT juehuaweng inovirusencodedpeptidesinducespecifictoxicityinipseudomonasaeruginosai AT yunxueguo inovirusencodedpeptidesinducespecifictoxicityinipseudomonasaeruginosai AT jiayugu inovirusencodedpeptidesinducespecifictoxicityinipseudomonasaeruginosai AT ranchen inovirusencodedpeptidesinducespecifictoxicityinipseudomonasaeruginosai AT xiaoxuewang inovirusencodedpeptidesinducespecifictoxicityinipseudomonasaeruginosai |