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Updated: Sep 25, 2026

Understanding the Impact of Temperate Bacteriophages on Their Lysogens Through Transcriptomics
Published on: January 5, 2024
In vivo lysogenic conversion of Tox(-) Streptococcus pyogenes to Tox(+) with Lysogenic Streptococci or free phage
Thomas B Broudy1, Vincent A Fischetti
1Laboratory of Bacterial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10021, USA.
Abstract:
Temperate bacteriophage can transfer toxin-encoding genes between bacteria, often resulting in acquired pathogenicity. However, little is known regarding the effects of the eukaryotic host on the phage-pathogen interaction. Using Streptococcus pyogenes as a model, we demonstrate, both in vitro and in vivo, that the eukaryote mediates the efficient induction of toxin-encoding temperate phage and the resultant conversion of Tox(-) flora to Tox(+). Furthermore, we show that both phage induction and subsequent conversion need not happen in the same mammalian host, as host-to-host phage transmission can result in toxigenic conversion within the secondary host. Ultimately, our findings demonstrate that the eukaryotic host serves as an essential component in the phage-mediated evolution of virulence within the microbial population.
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