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Understanding the Impact of Temperate Bacteriophages on Their Lysogens Through Transcriptomics
Published on: January 5, 2024
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More evolvable bacteriophages better suppress their host
Elijah K Horwitz1, Hannah M Strobel1, Jason Haiso1
1Department of Ecology, Behavior and Evolution University of California San Diego La Jolla California USA.
Evolutionary Applications
|July 8, 2024
Summary
Bacteriophages are promising antibacterial therapies. This study found that phage evolvability and reproductive rate are key to suppressing bacterial populations, even when facing resistance.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology and Virology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Rising multidrug-resistant bacteria and stagnating antibiotic discovery necessitate novel therapeutics.
- Bacteriophages (phages) offer a diverse and potent alternative for combating bacterial infections.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate phage evolvability as a criterion for selecting effective antibacterial phages.
- To compare evolvability against fast reproduction and thermostability for phage therapeutic potential.
Main Methods:
- Compared the bacterial suppressiveness of three engineered phages differing in a single amino acid.
- These phages were designed to maximize two of three traits: evolvability, reproductive rate, and thermostability.
- Assessed phage performance under varying conditions, including those emphasizing thermostability.
Main Results:
- Both phage evolvability and reproductive rate were independently crucial for bacterial suppression.
- The most effective phage combined high evolvability and reproductive rate but lacked stability.
- Phage effectiveness was influenced by bacterial resistance evolution and the phage's counter-resistance mechanisms.
Conclusions:
- Phage evolvability is a critical factor for developing effective antibacterial therapeutics.
- Combining high evolvability and reproductive rate offers superior short-term bacterial suppression.
- Engineered evolvability can enhance the long-term efficacy of phage-based therapies against resistant bacteria.
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