Study of 32 new phage tail-like bacteriocins (pyocins) from a clinical collection of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and of their potential use as typing markers and antimicrobial agents

Abstract

Phage tail-like bacteriocins (PTLBs) are large proteomic structures similar to the tail phages. These structures function in bacterial competition by making pores in the membrane of their competitors. The PTLBs identified in Pseudomonas aeruginosa are known as R-type and F-type pyocins, which have a narrow spectrum of action. Their specificity is determined by the tail fiber and is closely related to the lipopolysaccharide type of the target competitor strain. In this study, the genome sequences of 32 clinical of P. aeruginosa clinical isolates were analysed to investigate the presence of R-type and F-type pyocins, and one was detected in all strains tested. The pyocins were classified into 4 groups on the basis of the tail fiber and also the homology, phylogeny and structure of the cluster components. A relationship was established between these groups and the sequence type and serotype of the strain of origin and finally the killing spectrum of the representative pyocins was determined showing a variable range of activity between 0 and 37.5%. The findings showed that these pyocins could potentially be used for typing of P. aeruginosa clinical isolates, on the basis of their genomic sequence and cluster structure, and also as antimicrobial agents.

Involvement of Pf-like phages in resistance to phage infection in clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa from cystic fibrosis patients

“…Bacteria have developed different systems to manage these interactions, e.g. secretion systems and phage tail-like bacteriocins, which are involved in competition with other bacteria, and defence systems, which are used to evade phage infections (9, 10, 14). The diversity of systems that make up the bacterial defence arsenal is largely driven by the “arms race” between bacteria and phages and is, in turn, enhanced by horizontal gene transfer of mobile genetic elements such as defence islands and temperate phages (15, 16).…”

Assessment of bacteriocin production by clinical Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates and their potential as therapeutic agents

“…Additionally, morphological characteristics were assessed through Gram's staining and motility tests. Physiological characterization involved studying bacterial growth at 42 ºC and observing pigment formation [ 26 , 37 ].…”

“…Those peptides can hold great promise for a range of biological applications. This potential is valuable to the pharmaceutical, healthcare, and food industries, particularly in addressing Multidrug Resistant (MDR) and Extensively Drug Resistant (XDR) infections [ 9 , 23 , 26 , 35 – 37 ]. Therefore, it is crucial to isolate and identify strains that produce bacteriocins and/or BLISs, purify them, and conduct a comprehensive study aimed at enhancing resistance to infections and improving food hygiene.…”

Evolutionary and ecological role of extracellular contractile injection systems: from threat to weapon

“…The clusters encoding eCISs can be highly conserved not only in content but also in genomic location. Tailocins (both F- and R-type) belonging to P. aeruginosa strains are located in the intergenic region of the tryptophan operon between the trpE and trpGCD genes, while those belonging to other Pseudomonas strains, such as those of the P. fluorescens clade, are located between the mutS and cinA genes ( Ghequire and De Mot, 2014 ; Ghequire et al, 2015 ; Scholl, 2017 ; Blasco et al, 2023 ). The similarities between R-tailocins from P. aeruginosa strains have led to a further classification into five different subtypes (R1-R5) according to their structures and activity spectrum ( Ghequire and De Mot, 2014 ).…”