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Author Spotlight: Investigating Bacteriophage-Induced Immune Responses in Gnotobiotic Mice

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Bacteriophage evolution differs by host, lifestyle and genome.

Travis N Mavrich¹, Graham F Hatfull¹

¹Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260, USA.

Nature Microbiology

|July 11, 2017

Summary

Bacteriophages (phages) exhibit two main evolutionary paths: high and low gene transfer. These modes, influenced by host and phage type, explain genome diversity and mosaicism in these vital microbes.

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Area of Science:

Microbiology
Evolutionary Biology
Genomics

Background:

Bacteriophages (phages) are crucial in microbial evolution, nutrient cycling, and disease.
Phage genomes are mosaic due to horizontal gene transfer, leading to complex evolutionary histories.
Conflicting views exist on whether mosaicism creates diverse genomes or discrete populations.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the evolutionary modes of bacteriophages.
To determine the extent of horizontal gene transfer in different phage lifestyles and hosts.
To understand the drivers of phage genome diversity and mosaicism.

Main Methods:

Analysis of phage genome architectures and gene transfer rates.
Classification of phages into high and low gene flux evolutionary modes.
Examination of the influence of bacterial host and phage lifestyle (temperate vs. lytic) on evolutionary modes.

Main Results:

Bacteriophages evolve in two primary modes: high and low gene transfer, differing by an order of magnitude.
Temperate phages utilize both modes, while lytic phages are restricted to the low gene flux mode.
Evolutionary modes are host-dependent, with phage proportions varying by host phylum.
Genetically related phages cluster within specific gene flux modes, indicating genetic and ecological influences on transfer rates.

Conclusions:

Phage genome mosaicism is shaped by host, lifestyle, and genetic factors.
Two distinct evolutionary modes, characterized by gene transfer rates, govern phage evolution.
Understanding these modes is key to deciphering phage diversity and their ecological roles.