A domesticated prophage enzyme links bacterial metabolism, episymbiosis and phage fitness
Prophages are increasingly recognized as drivers of bacterial adaptation, yet how domesticated prophage genes shape microbial symbiosis remains poorly understood. Here, we identify GDPDXhp1, a glycerophosphodiester phosphodiesterase encoded by prophage Xhp1 of Schaalia odontolytica XH001, as a metabolic regulator linking bacterial physiology, episymbiosis and phage fitness. Association with the…
Prophages, previously seen as catalysts for bacterial adaptation, now play a role in shaping microbial symbiosis, according to recent research. A team has identified GDPDXhp1, an enzyme encoded by prophage Xhp1 of Schaalia odontolytica XH001, as a metabolic regulator that links bacterial physiology, episymbiosis, and phage fitness.
The enzyme's association with the epibiotic bacterium Nanosynbacter lyticus TM7x led to increased expression of gdpdXhp1, causing the production of lipid droplets in XH001. GDPDXhp1 then altered glycerophospholipid remodeling, altered membrane properties, affected respiration, and changed cell-surface glycan composition in XH001, all of which facilitated TM7x episymbiosis.
Notably, GDPDXhp1 was also crucial for the successful infection of Xhp1 by reshaping bacterial host envelope structures to enable phage-host interactions. The study underscores the potential of domesticated prophage enzymes to contribute to bacterial metabolism, interspecies symbiosis, and viral reproduction, suggesting that prophages might be an underexplored source of metabolic innovation in microbial symbiosis.
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