Publications
Communications biologyNov 2022 |
5
(
1
),
1286
DOI:
10.1038/s42003-022-04238-3

A small bacteriophage protein determines the hierarchy over co-residential jumbo phage in Bacillus thuringiensis serovar israelensis

Pavlin, Anja; Lovše, Anže; Bajc, Gregor; Otoničar, Jan; Kujović, Amela; Lengar, Živa; Gutierrez-Aguirre, Ion; Kostanjšek, Rok; Konc, Janez; Fornelos, Nadine; Butala, Matej
Product Used
Genes
Abstract
Bacillus thuringiensis serovar israelensis is the most widely used biopesticide against insects, including vectors of animal and human diseases. Among several extrachromosomal elements, this endospore-forming entomopathogen harbors two bacteriophages: a linear DNA replicon named GIL01 that does not integrate into the chromosome during lysogeny and a circular-jumbo prophage known as pBtic235. Here, we show that GIL01 hinders the induction of cohabiting prophage pBtic235. The GIL01-encoded small protein, gp7, which interacts with the host LexA repressor, is a global transcription regulator and represses the induction of pBtic235 after DNA damage to presumably allow GIL01 to multiply first. In a complex with host LexA in stressed cells, gp7 down-regulates the expression of more than 250 host and pBtic235 genes, many of which are involved in the cellular functions of genome maintenance, cell-wall transport, and membrane and protein stability. We show that gp7 homologs that are found exclusively in bacteriophages act in a similar fashion to enhance LexA's binding to DNA, while likely also affecting host gene expression. Our results provide evidence that GIL01 influences both its host and its co-resident bacteriophage.
Product Used
Genes

Related Publications