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Phage Phenomics: Physiological Approaches to Characterize Novel Viral Proteins
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Published on: June 11, 2015

Phage evolution and ecology.

Stephen T Abedon1

  • 1Department of Microbiology, College of Biological Sciences, The Ohio State University, Mansfield, Ohio 44906, USA.

Advances in Applied Microbiology
|February 28, 2009
PubMed
Summary

Bacteriophages (phages), viruses that infect bacteria, are increasingly studied from ecological and evolutionary perspectives. This work provides an overview of phage evolutionary biology through the lens of phage ecology and environmental interactions.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Ecology

Background:

  • Bacteriophages (phages) are viruses of bacteria with diverse study aspects including molecular, environmental, evolutionary, ecological, and applied.
  • Historically, molecular and applied aspects dominated phage research, but environmental concerns and decreasing sequencing costs have recently spurred interest in phage ecology, comparative genomics, and evolutionary biology.
  • While reviews on phage ecology are common, overviews of phage evolutionary biology, especially from an ecological viewpoint, are rare.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide an overview of phage evolutionary biology from the perspective of phage-environment interactions, i.e., phage ecology.
  • To bridge the gap in literature concerning phage evolutionary biology from an ecological standpoint.
  • To integrate phage genomics and ecological data to understand phage evolution.

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Main Methods:

  • The chapter is structured into five sections covering phage types, classical phage ecology, evolutionary biology from a phage-ecological standpoint, phage evolutionary ecology focusing on fitness-driven adaptations, and phage evolutionary biology integrating genomics.
  • Utilizes a synthesis of existing literature and concepts from molecular biology, ecology, and evolutionary biology.
  • Employs a comparative genomics approach informed by ecological principles.

Main Results:

  • Phage biology encompasses molecular, environmental, evolutionary, ecological, and applied facets.
  • Phage ecology is gaining prominence due to environmental concerns and impacts on biogeochemical cycles.
  • Phage genomics and environmental metagenomics are driving interest in phage evolutionary biology.

Conclusions:

  • Phage evolutionary biology is best understood through the lens of phage ecology and environment interactions.
  • Integrating ecological perspectives with genomics offers novel insights into phage evolution.
  • This work aims to fill the void in comprehensive overviews of phage evolutionary biology from an ecological viewpoint.