Bacteriophage infection of Escherichia coli leads to the formation of membrane vesicles via both explosive cell lysis and membrane blebbing
File(s)mic001021.pdf (4.38 MB)
Published version
Author(s)
Mandal, Pappu K
Ballerin, Giulia
Nolan, Laura M
Petty, Nicola K
Whitchurch, Cynthia B
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Membrane vesicles (MVs) are membrane-bound spherical nanostructures that prevail in all three domains of life. In Gram-negative bacteria, MVs are thought to be produced through blebbing of the outer membrane and are often referred to as outer membrane vesicles (OMVs). We have recently described another mechanism of MV formation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa that involves explosive cell-lysis events, which shatters cellular membranes into fragments that rapidly anneal into MVs. Interestingly, MVs are often observed within preparations of lytic bacteriophage, however the source of these MVs and their association with bacteriophage infection has not been explored. In this study we aimed to determine if MV formation is associated with lytic bacteriophage infection. Live super-resolution microscopy demonstrated that explosive cell lysis of Escherichia coli cells infected with either bacteriophage T4 or T7, resulted in the formation of MVs derived from shattered membrane fragments. Infection by either bacteriophage was also associated with the formation of membrane blebs on intact bacteria. TEM revealed multiple classes of MVs within phage lysates, consistent with multiple mechanisms of MV formation. These findings suggest that bacteriophage infection may be a major contributor to the abundance of bacterial MVs in nature.
Date Issued
2021-04-19
Date Acceptance
2021-04-01
Citation
Microbiology, 2021, 167 (4), pp.1-9
ISSN
1350-0872
Publisher
Microbiology Society
Start Page
1
End Page
9
Journal / Book Title
Microbiology
Volume
167
Issue
4
Copyright Statement
© 2021 The Authors. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. This article was made open access via a Publish and Read agreement between
the Microbiology Society and the corresponding author’s institution.
the Microbiology Society and the corresponding author’s institution.
License URL
Sponsor
Cystic Fibrosis Trust
Imperial College London
Identifier
https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/micro/10.1099/mic.0.001021
Grant Number
VIA 070
Subjects
Microbiology
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2021-04-19