Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, The Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, POB 12272, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 91120 Jerusalem, Israel.
Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, The Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, POB 12272, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 91120 Jerusalem, Israel.
Cell. 2017 Jan 12;168(1-2):186-199.e12. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2016.12.003. Epub 2016 Dec 29.
Bacteriophages (phages) typically exhibit a narrow host range, yet they tremendously impact horizontal gene transfer (HGT). Here, we investigate phage dynamics in communities harboring phage-resistant (R) and sensitive (S) bacteria, a common scenario in nature. Using Bacillus subtilis and its lytic phage SPP1, we demonstrate that R cells, lacking SPP1 receptor, can be lysed by SPP1 when co-cultured with S cells. This unanticipated lysis was triggered in part by phage lytic enzymes released from nearby infected cells. Strikingly, we discovered that occasionally phages can invade R cells, a phenomenon we termed acquisition of sensitivity (ASEN). We found that ASEN is mediated by R cells transiently gaining phage attachment molecules from neighboring S cells and provide evidence that this molecular exchange is driven by membrane vesicles. Exchange of phage attachment molecules could even occur in an interspecies fashion, enabling phage adsorption to non-host species, providing an unexplored route for HGT. VIDEO ABSTRACT.
噬菌体（phages）通常表现出狭窄的宿主范围，但它们极大地影响了水平基因转移（HGT）。在这里，我们研究了在含有噬菌体抗性（R）和敏感（S）细菌的群落中的噬菌体动态，这是自然界中常见的情况。我们使用枯草芽孢杆菌及其裂解噬菌体 SPP1，证明了当与 S 细胞共培养时，缺乏 SPP1 受体的 R 细胞可以被 SPP1 裂解。这种出乎意料的裂解部分是由来自附近感染细胞的噬菌体裂解酶引发的。引人注目的是，我们发现噬菌体偶尔可以侵入 R 细胞，我们将这种现象称为获得敏感性（ASEN）。我们发现，ASEN 是由 R 细胞从邻近的 S 细胞短暂获得噬菌体附着分子介导的，并且提供了证据表明这种分子交换是由膜泡驱动的。噬菌体附着分子的交换甚至可以以种间的方式发生，使噬菌体能够吸附到非宿主物种上，为 HGT 提供了一条未被探索的途径。视频摘要。
