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Published on: January 26, 2024
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Contrasted coevolutionary dynamics between a bacterial pathogen and its bacteriophages.
Alex Betts1, Oliver Kaltz2, Michael E Hochberg3
1Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution, Université Montpellier II, Unité Mixte de Recherche 5554, 34095 Montpellier Cedex 05, France;Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PS, United Kingdom;
Summary
Bacterial coevolution with phages shows pathogen-specific dynamics. Some phages drive rapid bacterial resistance evolution, offering insights for phage therapy against Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Host-parasite interactions frequently lead to coevolution, driving species diversity and specificity.
- Understanding if coevolutionary dynamics vary among functionally similar species remains an open question.
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa and bacteriophages provide a model system to study coevolutionary processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate coevolutionary dynamics between Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 and bacteriophages.
- To determine if pathogen identity influences the outcome of bacterial-phage coevolution.
- To explore the potential for phage evolutionary training in controlling bacterial pathogens.
Main Methods:
- Utilized time-shift assays to monitor bacterial resistance and phage infectivity over approximately 60 generations.
- Employed a panel of bacteriophages infecting Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1.
- Analyzed cross-resistance patterns to assess the impact of coevolutionary history.
Main Results:
- Bacterial coevolutionary dynamics were significantly influenced by the specific phage partner.
- Frequency-dependent selection (Red Queen dynamics) was observed in five of six phage-bacteria pairings.
- Two phages induced directional selection, leading to broad bacterial resistance ranges and high cross-resistance, irrespective of bacterial coevolutionary history.
Conclusions:
- Coevolutionary dynamics between Pseudomonas aeruginosa and phages are phage-specific, potentially linked to the phage's infection receptor.
- These findings illuminate coevolutionary processes in simple microbial communities.
- The study suggests practical applications in enhancing phage efficacy for controlling bacterial pathogens through evolutionary training.
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