Exploring the Microbial Ecology of Water in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Potential of Bacteriophages in Water Quality Monitoring and Treatment to Improve Its Safety.

Access to safe water and food is a critical issue in sub-Saharan Africa, where microbial contamination poses significant health risks. Conventional water treatment and food preservation methods have limitations in addressing water safety, particularly for antibiotic-resistant bacteria and other pathogenic microorganisms. This review explores the potential application of bacteriophages as an innovative solution for water treatment and food safety in the region.

Phage defence loci of Streptococcus thermophilus-tip of the anti-phage iceberg?

Bacteria possess (bacterio)phage defence systems to ensure their survival. The thermophilic lactic acid bacterium, Streptococcus thermophilus, which is used in dairy fermentations, harbours multiple CRISPR-Cas and restriction and modification (R/M) systems to protect itself against phage attack, with limited reports on other types of phage-resistance. Here, we describe the systematic identification and functional analysis of the phage resistome of S.

Functional and practical insights into three lactococcal antiphage systems.

The persistent challenge of phages in dairy fermentations requires the development of starter cultures with enhanced phage resistance. Recently, three plasmid-encoded lactococcal antiphage systems, named Rhea, Aristaios, and Kamadhenu, were discovered. These systems were found to confer high levels of resistance against various members.

The gene of lactococcal bacteriophage TP901-1 is involved in DNA release following host adsorption.

Unlabelled: Temperate P335 phage TP901-1 represents one of the best-characterized Gram-positive phages regarding its structure and host interactions. Following its reversible adsorption to the polysaccharidic side-chain of the cell wall polysaccharide of its host 3107, TP901-1 requires a glucosylated cell envelope moiety to trigger its genome delivery into the host cytoplasm. Here, we demonstrate that three distinct single amino acid substitutions in the Tal protein of TP901-1 baseplate are sufficient to overcome the TP901-1 resistance of three 3107 derivatives, whose resistance is due to impaired DNA release of the phage.