Global transcriptomic analysis of phage-host interactions between plasmidial tectiviruses and Bacillus thuringiensis

Gillis, Annika;Pieter Monsieurs;Mahillon, Jacques
(2018) International Society for Plasmid Biology Scientific Meeting 2018 — Location: Seattle, United States of America (5.August.2018)

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  • Gillis, Annikaorcid-logoUCLouvain
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  • Pieter MonsieursUnit of Microbiology, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK-CEN), 2400 Mol, Belgium
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  • Mahillon, JacquesUCLouvain
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Abstract
Lysogenic (temperate) phages are able to establish a long-term relationship with their host, accounting for a significant genetic variability of their host and providing, in some cases, novel properties, such as virulence traits or increased survival/ecological fitness to the bacterial lysogens. Particularly, tectiviruses are, so far, the only phages infecting the Bacillus cereus group able to reside as prophages that do not integrate into the host genome and remain as autonomous linear plasmids inside the cell during their lysogenic cycle [2,3]. Despite the significant contributions of phages in different biological processes, little is known about the dealings taking place between tectiviruses and their B. cereus sensu lato hosts. Previously, we have showed that tectiviruses GIL01 and GIL16, in a lysogenic state, have an important influence on the bacterial growth, sporulation rate, biofilm formation, and swarming motility of their B. thuringiensis host [4], a member of the B. cereus group. Moreover, the regulation of lysogeny in phage GIL01 has been shown to require the host LexA transcriptional regulator as well as phage-specific factors [1]. Consequently, in this work, a transcriptomic approach has been addressed to gain new insights into the global molecular cross-talk taking place between tectiviruses GIL01 and GIL16 and B. thuringiensis. Illumina HiSeq RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq) was used to compare the transcript levels between B. thuringiensis serovar israelensis strain GBJ002 (non-lysogenic for tectiviruses) and two isogenic lysogens, derived from the same strain, harbouring either tectivirus GIL01 or GIL16. RNA-extraction was performed from cultures that favoured the stability of the tectiviruses in a linear plasmidial state. We found that both tectiviruses induce significant transcriptional changes of the host protein-coding genes, including membrane proteins, motility proteins, transporters of various metals, stress response proteins, transcriptional regulators and proteins involved in nucleic acid metabolism. Strikingly, the gene expression of other prophages integrated in the bacterial chromosome was also significantly affected when tectiviruses GIL01 or GIL16 were present as linear plasmids in the bacterial host. The RNA-Seq results not only provide the first transcriptome description of tectivirus-host interactions, but they also highlight several targets for future exploration, including genes that may have a role in the cross-talk between tectiviruses and their B. thuringiensis host during lysogeny.
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Gillis, A., Pieter Monsieurs, & Mahillon, J. (2018). Global transcriptomic analysis of phage-host interactions between plasmidial tectiviruses and Bacillus thuringiensis. International Society for Plasmid Biology Scientific Meeting 2018, Seattle, United States of America. https://hdl.handle.net/2078.5/220648