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Understanding the Impact of Temperate Bacteriophages on Their Lysogens Through Transcriptomics
Published on: January 5, 2024
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Bacteriophage-host interactions in Streptococcus thermophilus and their impact on co-evolutionary processes
Katherine Lavelle1, Brian McDonnell1, Gerald Fitzgerald1
1APC Microbiome Ireland and School of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, T12 YN60, Ireland.
FEMS Microbiology Reviews
|June 20, 2023
Summary
Bacteriophages (phages) threaten food fermentation by infecting Streptococcus thermophilus. This review explores phage-host interactions, defenses, and their impact on microbial evolution.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology and Food Science
Background:
- Bacteriophages (phages) pose significant challenges to the consistency of food fermentation.
- Recent discoveries reveal a growing diversity among phages targeting Streptococcus thermophilus.
Approach:
- This review synthesizes current knowledge on phage-host interactions within S. thermophilus populations.
- It examines the molecular mechanisms underlying phage infection and host defense systems.
Key Points:
- Phages infecting S. thermophilus display host specificity, linked to cell surface receptors like polysaccharides.
- Host defenses such as CRISPR-Cas and restriction-modification systems are crucial for limiting phage replication.
- These co-evolutionary dynamics drive the diversification of both phages and their bacterial hosts.
Conclusions:
- Understanding phage-host dynamics is essential for maintaining reliable food fermentation processes.
- The ongoing evolution of phages and S. thermophilus impacts starter culture stability and microbial ecology.
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