伦敦帝国理工学院José R. Penadés小组揭示了嵌合感染颗粒在噬菌体诱导的染色体岛动员中扩大物种边界。这一研究成果于2025年9月9日发表在国际顶尖学术期刊《细胞》上。

最近，课题组研究人员发现相同的衣壳形成噬菌体诱导染色体岛（cf-PICIs），一个新的噬菌体卫星家族，存在于多个物种和属中，提出了它们广泛传播的问题。研究组已经确定并描述了一种新的生物实体，使这种转移成为可能。与其他卫星不同，cf-PICIs产生自己的衣壳并包装DNA，完全依靠噬菌体尾部进行转移。cf-PICIs将含有其DNA的非感染性无尾衣壳释放到环境中。然后，这些亚细胞实体与来自不同物种的噬菌体尾部相互作用，形成嵌合颗粒，根据存在的尾巴将DNA注入不同的细菌物种。此外，研究人员还阐明了无尾cf-PICIs的结构及其独特衣壳形成背后的机制。他们的发现阐明了卫星在自然界传播的机制，促进了细菌进化和新病原体的出现。

据介绍，一些可移动的遗传元素通过未知的机制在不相关的细菌物种之间传播。

附：英文原文

Title: Chimeric infective particles expand species boundaries in phage-inducible chromosomal island mobilization

Author: Lingchen He, Jonasz B. Patkowski, Jinlong Wang, Laura Miguel-Romero, Christopher H.S. Aylett, Alfred Fillol-Salom, Tiago R.D. Costa, José R. Penadés

Issue&Volume: 2025-09-09

Abstract: Some mobile genetic elements spread among unrelated bacterial species through unknown mechanisms. Recently, we discovered that identical capsid-forming phage-inducible chromosomal islands (cf-PICIs), a new family of phage satellites, are present across multiple species and genera, raising questions about their widespread dissemination. Here, we have identified and characterized a new biological entity enabling this transfer. Unlike other satellites, cf-PICIs produce their own capsids and package their DNA, relying solely on phage tails for transfer. cf-PICIs release non-infective, tailless capsids containing their DNA into the environment. These subcellular entities then interact with phage tails from various species, forming chimeric particles that inject DNA into different bacterial species depending on the tail present. Additionally, we elucidated the structure of the tailless cf-PICIs and the mechanism behind their unique capsid formation. Our findings illuminate the mechanisms used by satellites to spread in nature, contributing to bacterial evolution and the emergence of new pathogens.

DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2025.08.019

Source: https://www.cell.com/cell/abstract/S0092-8674(25)00974-2