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Antibiotic-mediated prophage activation: Mechanisms, consequences, and therapeutic implications
Damir Gavric1, Petar Knezevic1
1PK Lab, Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Vojvodina, Serbia.
International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents
|October 30, 2025
Summary
Certain antibiotics can trigger prophage induction in bacteria, leading to increased toxin production and disease. Understanding these effects is crucial for optimizing antibiotic therapy and minimizing adverse outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Bacteriology
- Microbial Genetics
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Prophages are integral to bacterial genomes, influencing host virulence and evolution.
- Antibiotic exposure, especially DNA-damaging agents, can induce prophage activation from lysogeny to the lytic cycle.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review and compare the effects of different antibiotic classes on prophage induction.
- To emphasize the clinical consequences of antibiotic-mediated prophage induction.
Main Methods:
- Comparative review of existing literature.
- Analysis of antibiotic classes and their impact on prophage induction.
- Emphasis on clinical relevance and consequences.
Main Results:
- Fluoroquinolones (e.g., ciprofloxacin) strongly induce prophages, increasing toxin production (e.g., Shiga toxin in EHEC).
- Subinhibitory concentrations of β-lactams, sulphonamides, nitrofurans, and fosfomycin can also induce prophages.
- Aminoglycosides, some macrolides, and newer tetracyclines inhibit phage induction.
Conclusions:
- Antibiotic-mediated phage induction has significant clinical implications, potentially exacerbating disease.
- Further research into the mechanisms of phage induction is needed.
- Understanding these interactions is vital for therapeutic strategies to maximize benefits and minimize harm.
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