A Distinct Contractile Injection System Gene Cluster Found in a Majority of Healthy Adult Human Microbiomes
Abstract
To engage with host cells, diverse pathogenic bacteria produce syringe-like structures called contractile injection systems (CIS). CIS are evolutionarily related to the contractile tails of bacteriophages and are specialized to puncture membranes, often delivering effectors to target cells. Although CIS are key for pathogens to cause disease, paradoxically, similar injection systems have been identified within healthy human microbiome bacteria. Here, we show that gene clusters encoding a predicted CIS, which we term Bacteroidales injection systems (BIS), are present in the microbiomes of nearly all adult humans tested from Western countries. BIS genes are enriched within human gut microbiomes and are expressed both in vitro and in vivo . Further, a greater abundance of BIS genes is present within healthy gut microbiomes than in those humans with with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Our discovery provides a potentially distinct means by which our microbiome interacts with the human host or its microbiome.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Aug 25, 2020
- Source ID
- 10.1128/msystems.00648-20
Entities
People
- Amanda T Alker
- Ana G. Cobián-güemes
- Barbara A. Bailey
- Forest Rohwer
- Giselle S. Cavalcanti
- Katelyn McNair
- Kyle Levi
- Maria I Rojas
- Melissa Giluso
- Nicholas J Shikuma
- Robert A Edwards
- Sean Benler
- Sinem Beyhan
Organizations
- Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
- J. Craig Venter Institute
- National Science Foundation
- Office of Naval Research
- San Diego State University