Bacteria–phage coevolution as a driver of ecological and evolutionary processes in microbial communities

Abstract

Bacteria–phage coevolution, the reciprocal evolution between bacterial hosts and the phages that infect them, is an important driver of ecological and evolutionary processes in microbial communities. There is growing evidence from both laboratory and natural populations that coevolution can maintain phenotypic and genetic diversity, increase the rate of bacterial and phage evolution and divergence, affect community structure, and shape the evolution of ecologically relevant bacterial traits. Although the study of bacteria–phage coevolution is still in its infancy, with open questions regarding the specificity of the interaction, the gene networks of coevolving partners, and the relative importance of the coevolving interaction in complex communities and environments, there have recently been major advancements in the field. In this review, we sum up our current understanding of bacteria–phage coevolution both in the laboratory and in nature, discuss recent findings on both the coevolutionary process itself and the impact of coevolution on bacterial phenotype, diversity and interactions with other species (particularly their eukaryotic hosts), and outline future directions for the field.

Contrasted coevolutionary dynamics between a bacterial pathogen and its bacteriophages

“…Selection for resistance and infectivity may act at several stages in the infection cycle (3,55). The first barrier to infection is receptors on the bacterial outer cell membrane, to which lytic phages adsorb and inject nucleic acids into the cell.…”

“…phage therapy | nosocomial pathogen | fluctuating selection | arms race | type IV pili M any host-parasite associations coevolve, and patterns in this antagonistic interaction are influenced by biology and environment (1)(2)(3). In single-species host-parasite interactions, parasite genotypes show differences in their host ranges and specificities on host genotypes, providing the basis for such coevolution (4)(5)(6)(7)(8).…”

Convergent evolution toward an improved growth rate and a reduced resistance range inProchlorococcusstrains resistant to phage

“…Over the years, a number of models have been developed to explain coexistence in terms of the above coevolutionary processes and their costs (16,(29)(30)(31)(32). In the arms race model, repeated cycles of host mutation and virus countermutation occur, leading to increasing breadths of host resistance and viral infectivity.…”

“…The above coevolutionary processes are considered to be among the major mechanisms that have led to and maintain diversity within bacterial communities (32,35,(37)(38)(39). These processes also influence genetic microdiversity within populations of closely related bacteria.…”

La phagothérapie

“…Aujourd'hui, les travaux de phylogénie moléculaire soulignent que ces échanges ont été fréquents et cruciaux dans l'évolution des bactéries et des virus [11]. [19,20].…”