Lateral transduction is inherent to the life cycle of the archetypical Salmonella phage P22

Fillol-Salom, A. , Bacigalupe, R., Humphrey, S. , Chiang, Y. N., Chen, J. and Penadés, J. R. (2021) Lateral transduction is inherent to the life cycle of the archetypical Salmonella phage P22. Nature Communications, 12, 6510. (doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-26520-4) (PMID:34751192) (PMCID:PMC8575938)

Abstract

Lysogenic induction ends the stable association between a bacteriophage and its host, and the transition to the lytic cycle begins with early prophage excision followed by DNA replication and packaging (ERP). This temporal program is considered universal for P22-like temperate phages, though there is no direct evidence to support the timing and sequence of these events. Here we report that the long-standing ERP program is an observation of the experimentally favored Salmonella phage P22 tsc229 heat-inducible mutant, and that wild-type P22 actually follows the replication-packaging-excision (RPE) program. We find that P22 tsc229 excises early after induction, but P22 delays excision to just before it is detrimental to phage production. This allows P22 to engage in lateral transduction. Thus, at minimal expense to itself, P22 has tuned the timing of excision to balance propagation with lateral transduction, powering the evolution of its host through gene transfer in the interest of self-preservation.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Penades, Prof Jose R and Fillol Salom, Mr Alfred and Humphrey, Dr Suzie
• Authors: Fillol-Salom, A., Bacigalupe, R., Humphrey, S., Chiang, Y. N., Chen, J., and Penadés, J. R.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Infection & Immunity
• Journal Name: Nature Communications
• Publisher: Nature Research
• ISSN: 2041-1723
• ISSN (Online): 2041-1723
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2021 The Authors
• First Published: First published in Scientific Reports 12: 6510
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License

Project Code	Award No	Project Name	Principal Investigator	Funder's Name	Funder Ref	Lead Dept
170721		Molecular biology of the PICIs, a novel and widespread family of mobile genetic elements involved in bacterial virulence	Jose R Penades	Medical Research Council (MRC)	MR/M003876/1	III - Bacteriology - Dr J Penades
304055		Deciphering Gram-negative phage-inducible chromosomal island strategies for spreading in nature	Jose R Penades	Medical Research Council (MRC)	MRS00940X/1	III - Bacteriology
172242		Understanding a novel mechanim involving pathogenity islands in the transfer of unlinked chromosomal virulence genes	Jose R Penades	Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)	BB/N002873/1	Institute of Infection, Immunity & Inflammation
302971		Helper and satellite pathogenicity islands: the discovery of two novel subcellular elements with a huge impact on bacterial pathogenesis and evolution	Jose R Penades	Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)	BB/S003835/1	III - Bacteriology
172321		DUT-Signal	Jose R Penades	European Research Council (ERC)	670932	Institute of Infection, Immunity & Inflammation
173671		Prof. R. Fitzgerald. Wellcome Trust Award 201531/Z/16/Z - Understanding bacterial host adaptation to combat infectious diseases	Jose R Penades	Wellcome Trust (WELLCOTR)	R44516 - WT 201531/Z/16/Z	Institute of Infection, Immunity & Inflammation