Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 26, 2026

Microfluidic Tools for Probing Fungal-Microbial Interactions at the Cellular Level
08:19

Microfluidic Tools for Probing Fungal-Microbial Interactions at the Cellular Level

Published on: June 23, 2022

4.2K

Filamentous phages: masters of a microbial sharing economy

Iain D Hay1, Trevor Lithgow2

  • 1School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand iain.hay@auckland.ac.nz trevor.lithgow@monash.edu.

EMBO Reports
|April 7, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Filamentous phages form cooperative relationships with bacteria, offering benefits like enhanced biofilms and virulence. This phage-host cooperativity underpins significant biotechnology applications, with much diversity yet to be discovered.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Virology
  • Biotechnology

Background:

  • Bacteriophages (phages) are viruses that infect bacteria.
  • Most phages are pathogenic, but filamentous phages (Inoviridae) exhibit cooperative relationships with hosts.
  • This cooperation mirrors the sharing economy, with phages providing benefits to bacteria.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the cooperative interactions between filamentous phages and their bacterial hosts.
  • To highlight the biotechnological applications derived from this phage-host cooperativity.
  • To emphasize the vast, unexplored diversity of filamentous phages.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on phage-host interactions.
  • Analysis of genomic and metagenomic data.
  • Examination of established and emerging biotechnology applications.

Main Results:

  • Filamentous phages provide services such as improved biofilm formation, increased virulence factors, and enhanced motility.
  • These cooperative interactions have been foundational for technologies like DNA sequencing, genetic engineering, and phage display.
  • Current genomic surveys suggest that filamentous phage diversity is vastly underestimated.

Conclusions:

  • The cooperative relationship between filamentous phages and bacteria is a crucial area of biological and biotechnological research.
  • Further exploration of filamentous phage diversity promises new biological insights and innovative biotechnological tools.
  • Understanding these interactions is key to unlocking future advancements in medicine and industry.
Keywords:
Zotfilamentous phagephageprocoat proteinsecretin

More Related Videos

Following Cell-fate in E. coli After Infection by Phage Lambda06:10

Following Cell-fate in E. coli After Infection by Phage Lambda

Published on: October 14, 2011

24.2K
Phage Phenomics: Physiological Approaches to Characterize Novel Viral Proteins09:40

Phage Phenomics: Physiological Approaches to Characterize Novel Viral Proteins

Published on: June 11, 2015

12.8K

Related Concept Videos

Master Transcription Regulators02:23

Master Transcription Regulators

Master transcription regulators are regulatory proteins that are predominantly responsible for regulating the expression of multiple genes. Often these genes work in concert to drive a  complex process. Activation of a master transcription regulator can lead to a cascade of transcriptional activation necessary for that outcome. These regulators can directly bind to the regulatory sequences of the various genes involved, or they can indirectly regulate transcription by binding to regulatory...
7.7K
Master Transcription Regulators02:23

Master Transcription Regulators

2.7K
Adaptability of Cytoskeletal Filaments01:12

Adaptability of Cytoskeletal Filaments

The cytoskeleton is a complex dynamic structure performing varied functions based on cellular requirements. The adaptability of the individual filaments in the cytoskeleton determines their ability to perform various functions within the cell. It can undergo rapid reorganization during processes like cell division or remain stable for several hours as in the interphase. The adaptability of these filaments depends on stringent regulatory mechanisms. The microfilament and microtubules of the...
5.7K
Assembly of Cytoskeletal Filaments01:18

Assembly of Cytoskeletal Filaments

Cytoskeletal filaments are polymeric forms of smaller protein subunits. However, individual cytoskeletal filaments may easily disassemble or associate with other similar filaments to form rigid structures. Microfilaments, made of actin monomers, rely on actin-binding proteins to form bundles and create networks of individual actin filaments. Microtubules rely on microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) to form sturdy cylindrical structures. However, the proteins involved in forming complex...
27.2K
Disassembly of Intermediate Filaments01:35

Disassembly of Intermediate Filaments

Intermediate filaments (IFs) do not undergo spontaneous disassembly. Enzymes, kinases, and phosphatases add and remove phosphates from specific sites to regulate their disassembly. The IF concentration in the cytoplasm also regulates the disassembly. If the concentration crosses a threshold, it activates the protein kinases in the vicinity, allowing the phosphorylation of IFs.
Keratin proteins, found at the cell periphery near cell junctions, undergo a cycle of assembly and disassembly. In Type...
2.6K
Types of Intermediate Filaments01:31

Types of Intermediate Filaments

The intermediate filaments are an essential component of the cytoskeleton. Presently six types of intermediate filament have been identified. Type I and II are acidic and basic keratin proteins. Type III is of mesodermal origin and comprises four proteins: vimentin, desmin, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and peripherin. Vimentin is commonly found in mesenchymal cells, desmin in muscle cells, GFAP in astrocytes, while peripherin is found in peripheral nervous system neurons (PNS). Type...
4.8K