Yang Yiyan, Yan Jing, Olson Rich, Jiang Xiaofang
Intramural Research Program, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
bioRxiv. 2025 Jan 14:2024.08.19.608685. doi: 10.1101/2024.08.19.608685.
pathogens cause cholera, an acute diarrheal disease resulting in significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Biofilms in vibrios enhance their survival in natural ecosystems and facilitate transmission during cholera outbreaks. Critical components of the biofilm matrix include the polysaccharides produced by the -1 and -2 gene clusters and the biofilm matrix proteins encoded in the gene cluster, together comprising the biofilm matrix cluster. However, the biofilm matrix clusters and their evolutionary patterns in other species remain underexplored. In this study, we systematically investigated the distribution, diversity, and evolution of biofilm matrix clusters and proteins across the genus. Our findings reveal that these gene clusters are sporadically distributed throughout the genus, even appearing in species phylogenetically distant from . Evolutionary analysis of the major biofilm matrix proteins RbmC and Bap1 shows that they are structurally and sequentially related, having undergone structural domain and modular alterations. Additionally, a novel loop-less Bap1 variant was identified, predominantly represented in two phylogenetically distant subspecies clades that share specific gene groups associated with the presence or absence of the protein. Furthermore, our analysis revealed that , a gene involved in biofilm dispersal, shares a recent common ancestor with Vibriophage tail proteins, suggesting that phages may mimic host functions to evade biofilm-associated defenses. Our study offers a foundational understanding of the diversity and evolution of biofilm matrix clusters in vibrios, laying the groundwork for future biofilm engineering through genetic modification.
病原体可引发霍乱，这是一种急性腹泻疾病，在全球范围内导致了显著的发病率和死亡率。弧菌中的生物膜增强了它们在自然生态系统中的生存能力，并在霍乱暴发期间促进传播。生物膜基质的关键成分包括由-1和-2基因簇产生的多糖以及基因簇中编码的生物膜基质蛋白，它们共同构成了生物膜基质簇。然而，其他弧菌物种中的生物膜基质簇及其进化模式仍未得到充分研究。在本研究中，我们系统地调查了弧菌属中生物膜基质簇和蛋白的分布、多样性及进化情况。我们的研究结果表明，这些基因簇在整个弧菌属中呈零星分布，甚至出现在与霍乱弧菌亲缘关系较远的物种中。对主要生物膜基质蛋白RbmC和Bap1的进化分析表明，它们在结构和序列上相关，经历了结构域和模块的改变。此外，还鉴定出一种新型无环Bap1变体，主要存在于两个亲缘关系较远的弧菌亚种分支中，这两个分支共享与该蛋白存在与否相关的特定基因组。此外，我们的分析表明，参与生物膜分散的基因与噬菌体尾部蛋白有最近的共同祖先，这表明噬菌体可能模仿宿主功能以逃避与生物膜相关的防御。我们的研究为弧菌中生物膜基质簇的多样性和进化提供了基础认识，为未来通过基因改造进行生物膜工程奠定了基础。
