Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 25, 2025

Author Spotlight: Efficiently Eliminating Bacteriophages from Infected Salmonella Cultures Using Lipopolysaccharides
07:19

Author Spotlight: Efficiently Eliminating Bacteriophages from Infected Salmonella Cultures Using Lipopolysaccharides

Published on: June 28, 2024

1.4K

Beyond antibacterials - exploring bacteriophages as antivirulence agents

Yang Shen1, Martin J Loessner1

  • 1Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zurich, Schmelzbergstrasse 7, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland.

Current Opinion in Biotechnology
|December 17, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Bacteriophages (phages) can combat multidrug-resistant bacteria by targeting virulence factors. Phage resistance may lead to reduced bacterial fitness and virulence, offering potential for novel antibacterial therapies.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Bacteriology
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Multidrug-resistant bacterial infections pose a significant global health threat.
  • Bacteriophages (phages) are viruses that infect bacteria and are being explored as therapeutic agents.
  • Phages interact with bacterial surface structures crucial for both infection and virulence.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the molecular mechanisms underlying the interplay between phages, bacteria, and host immune responses.
  • To investigate the potential of phage-resistance evolution as an antibacterial therapeutic strategy.
  • To discuss the development of phage-derived products as antivirulence agents.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on phage-bacteria interactions.
  • Analysis of molecular principles governing phage resistance and its consequences.
  • Discussion of evolutionary trade-offs in bacterial response to phage challenge.

Main Results:

  • Phage challenge can lead to the loss or modification of bacterial surface structures.
  • Acquired phage resistance may result in reduced bacterial fitness, increased susceptibility to antibiotics, and attenuated virulence.
  • These trade-offs represent a potential avenue for therapeutic intervention.

Conclusions:

  • The evolution of phage resistance in bacteria can inadvertently weaken them.
  • Exploiting these phage-induced trade-offs offers a promising strategy for developing novel antivirulence therapies.
  • Phage-derived products hold potential for combating challenging bacterial infections.

More Related Videos

Author Spotlight: Investigating Bacteriophage-Induced Immune Responses in Gnotobiotic Mice08:46

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

Published on: January 26, 2024

2.2K
Understanding the Impact of Temperate Bacteriophages on Their Lysogens Through Transcriptomics09:23

Understanding the Impact of Temperate Bacteriophages on Their Lysogens Through Transcriptomics

Published on: January 5, 2024

2.3K

Related Concept Videos

Lytic Cycle of Bacteriophages01:30

Lytic Cycle of Bacteriophages

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...
75.2K
DNA Bacteriophages01:26

DNA Bacteriophages

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...
466
Lysogenic Cycle of Bacteriophages00:43

Lysogenic Cycle of Bacteriophages

In contrast to the lytic cycle, phages infecting bacteria via the lysogenic cycle do not immediately kill their host cell. Instead, they combine their genome with the host genome, allowing the bacteria to replicate the phage DNA along with the bacterial genome. The incorporated copy of the phage genome is called the prophage. Some prophages can re-activate and enter the lytic cycle. This often occurs in response to a perturbation, such as DNA damage, but can also transpire in the absence of...
65.9K
Gene Regulation in Microbial Communities: Quorum Sensing01:28

Gene Regulation in Microbial Communities: Quorum Sensing

Quorum sensing is a mechanism of bacterial communication that enables coordinated gene expression in response to changes in population density. This facilitates collective behaviors that enhance survival, resource acquisition, and ecological adaptation. This process relies on small signaling molecules called autoinducers that accumulate as bacterial populations grow. When a critical threshold concentration of autoinducers is reached, bacterial cells collectively modify gene expression,...
268
Viral Replication: Lytic Cycle01:20

Viral Replication: Lytic Cycle

Bacteriophages, or phages, are viruses that specifically infect bacteria. Among them, T-even bacteriophages, such as T4, exhibit a well-characterized lytic replication cycle in Escherichia coli (E. coli). This process ensures the rapid proliferation of the virus while ultimately leading to the destruction of the bacterial host.Attachment and DNA InjectionThe infection process begins with the recognition and binding of the T4 phage to the E. coli cell surface. Tail fibers of the phage...
804
Viral Replication: Lysogenic Cycle01:16

Viral Replication: Lysogenic Cycle

The lysogenic cycle is a crucial viral replication strategy that allows bacteriophages to persist within host cells without immediately destroying them. This process is primarily observed in temperate phages, such as bacteriophage lambda (λ), which infects Escherichia coli. The cycle allows the viral genome to persist across bacterial generations while keeping host cells viable.Integration of the Viral GenomeUpon infection, bacteriophage lambda attaches to the bacterial surface and injects...
871