Lysogeny destabilizes computationally simulated microbiomes

Area of Science:

• Microbiome Ecology
• Virology
• Theoretical Ecology

Background:

• Microbiome stability is crucial for host health.
• Predators influence ecosystem stability, with phages being key bacterial predators.
• Phages possess unique lysogenic life cycles, unlike classical predator models.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop formal theory on the impact of phage lysogeny on microbiome stability.
• To investigate how temperate and virulent phages affect bacterial population dynamics.
• To quantify the relationship between phage life cycles and ecosystem stability.

Main Methods:

• Computational simulations of microbiomes with varying numbers of temperate and virulent phages.
• Analysis of bacterial population fluctuations over time.
• Assessment of recovery rates after simulated disturbances.

Main Results:

• Increased temperate phage species correlated with higher bacterial population fluctuations.
• Higher temperate phage species slowed the return of bacterial populations to pre-disturbance densities.
• Increased virulent phage species led to slower dampening of disturbance-induced cycles.

Conclusions:

• Lysogeny by temperate phages can destabilize microbiomes.
• Phage predation, particularly lysogeny, significantly impacts microbiome dynamics.
• This study provides the first formal ecological theory linking lysogeny to microbiome stability.