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Immune surveillance is an integral part of the innate immune system, involving the continuous monitoring of peripheral tissues to detect and respond to pathogens, infected cells, or cancerous cells. This surveillance is conducted primarily by natural killer (NK) cells and phagocytes, which employ distinct but complementary mechanisms to identify and eliminate threats.
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Bacteriophages, also known as phages, are specialized viruses that infect bacteria. A key characteristic of phages is their distinctive “head-tail” morphology. A phage begins the infection process (i.e., lytic cycle) by attaching to the outside of a bacterial cell. Attachment is accomplished via proteins in the phage tail that bind to specific receptor proteins on the outer surface of the bacterium. The tail injects the phage’s DNA genome into the bacterial cytoplasm. In the...
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Bacteriophages, or phages, are viruses that specifically infect bacteria, utilizing their genetic material to hijack host cellular machinery for replication. DNA bacteriophages employ single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) or double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) genomes. These phages exhibit diverse replication strategies and host interactions, influencing their ecological roles and applications in biotechnology and medicine.ssDNA BacteriophagesssDNA phages, with their small genomes, utilize unique strategies to...
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Cells pull particles inward and engulf them in spherical vesicles in an energy-requiring process called endocytosis. Phagocytosis ("cellular eating") is one of three major types of endocytosis. Cells use phagocytosis to take in large objects, such as other cells (or their debris), bacteria, and even viruses.
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Phages in the Human Body.

Ferran Navarro1, Maite Muniesa2

  • 1Servei de Microbiologia, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant PauBarcelona, Spain.

Frontiers in Microbiology
|April 20, 2017
PubMed
Summary

Bacteriophages (phages), viruses that infect bacteria, are the most abundant viruses in the human body. Their role in regulating bacterial populations and influencing human health requires further investigation.

Keywords:
bacteriophagesdiagnosishomeostasishuman biomesmetagenomicsvirome

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Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Virology
  • Human Microbiome Research

Background:

  • Bacteriophages (phages) are viruses that infect bacteria and are prevalent in natural ecosystems.
  • Recent metagenomic studies reveal phages are the most numerous viruses in the human virome.
  • The historical presence of phages in humans was underestimated until recent advanced molecular techniques.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To highlight the significance of bacteriophages in the human body.
  • To explore the potential impact of phages on bacterial population regulation and human health.
  • To investigate the role of phages in horizontal gene transfer and bacterial evolution within the human host.

Main Methods:

  • Metagenomic sequencing to identify and quantify viral populations in human samples.
  • Bioinformatic analysis to assess phage abundance and diversity.
  • Literature review to synthesize current understanding of phage-host interactions and immune responses.

Main Results:

  • Phages are the most abundant viral group in the human virome.
  • Phages contribute to bacterial population dynamics and horizontal gene transfer in humans.
  • The human immune system recognizes and reacts to the presence of phages.

Conclusions:

  • Phages play a significant, yet under-evaluated, role in the human body.
  • Further research is needed to understand phage-bacterial interactions and their health implications.
  • The presence of phages can interfere with microbiological and molecular diagnostic results, necessitating greater attention.