Prophages carrying Zot toxins on different Vibrio genomes: A comprehensive assessment using multilayer networks

• Published in: Environmental microbiology Vol. 26; no. 5; pp. e16654 - n/a
• Main Authors: Soto, Esteban F., Alegría, Melissa, Sepúlveda, Felipe, García, Katherine, Higuera, Gastón, Castillo, Daniel, Fontúrbel, Francisco E., Bastías, Roberto
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken, USA John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.05.2024; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Bacteria; Bacterial Proteins - genetics; Distribution patterns; Endotoxins; Genes; Genome, Bacterial; Genomes; Geographical distribution; Marine environment; Multilayers; Phylogeny; Prophages; Prophages - genetics; Species; Toxins; Vibrio; Vibrio - genetics; Vibrio - virology; Vibrio parahaemolyticus - genetics; Vibrio parahaemolyticus - virology; Virulence
• ISSN: 1462-2912; 1462-2920; 1462-2920
• DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16654

Vibrios, a group of bacteria that are among the most abundant in marine environments, include several species such as Vibrio cholerae and Vibrio parahaemolyticus, which can be pathogenic to humans. Some species of Vibrio contain prophages within their genomes. These prophages can carry genes that code for toxins, such as the zonula occludens toxin (Zot), which contribute to bacterial virulence. Understanding the association between different Vibrio species, prophages and Zot genes can provide insights into their ecological interactions. In this study, we evaluated 4619 Vibrio genomes from 127 species to detect the presence of prophages carrying the Zot toxin. We found 2030 potential prophages with zot‐like genes in 43 Vibrio species, showing a non‐random association within a primarily modular interaction network. Some prophages, such as CTX or Vf33, were associated with specific species. In contrast, prophages phiVCY and VfO3K6 were found in 28 and 20 Vibrio species, respectively. We also identified six clusters of Zot‐like sequences in prophages, with the ZOT2 cluster being the most frequent, present in 34 Vibrio species. This analysis helps to understand the distribution patterns of zot‐containing prophages across Vibrio genomes and the potential routes of Zot‐like toxin dissemination. The analysis of vibrio genomes reveals a modular network association with prophages carrying zot toxin. Within the network, phages like CTX are associated with specific species, while others like phiVCY and VfO3K6 exhibited broader distribution across 28 and 20 Vibrio species, respectively. Similar results are observed with different types of zot.