Researchers are investigating bacteriophages, particularly “jumbo” phages with large genomes, as potential tools to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria. These phages might be engineered to deliver antibiotics directly to infections, offering a new strategy in the fight against deadly pathogens.
But in order to deliver novel therapeutics through phage, scientists must first understand the extraordinary biological makeup and mechanisms inside these mysterious viruses. As described in the paper, research led by School of Biological Sciences graduate student Chase Morgan focused on jumbo Chimalliviridae phages that were found to replicate inside bacteria by forming a compartment that resembles the nucleus inside the cells of humans and other living organisms. The Chimalliviridae’s nucleus-like compartment separates and selectively imports certain proteins that allow it to replicate inside the host bacteria.
School of Biological Sciences graduate students Chase Morgan and Emily Armbruster, coauthors of the PNAS paper. Credit: Pogliano Labs, UC San DiegoBacteria and viruses have engaged in a type of arms race for billions of years, each evolving to counter the other’s adaptations. The researchers say the sophisticated PicA transportation system is a result of that intense, ongoing evolutionary competition.