Bacteriophage-Bacteria Interactions in the Gut: From Invertebrates to Mammals

Abstract

Bacteria and their viruses (bacteriophages or phages) interact antagonistically and beneficially in polymicrobial communities such as the guts of animals. These interactions are multifaceted and are influenced by environmental conditions. In this review, we discuss phage-bacteria interactions as they relate to the complex environment of the gut. Within the mammalian and invertebrate guts, phages and bacteria engage in diverse interactions including genetic coexistence through lysogeny, and phages directly modulate microbiota composition and the immune system with consequences that are becoming recognized as potential drivers of health and disease. With greater depth of understanding of phage-bacteria interactions in the gut and the outcomes, future phage therapies become possible. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Virology, Volume 8 is September 2021. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

Phages against non-capsulatedKlebsiella pneumoniae: broader host range, slower resistance

“…These dynamics are in line with previous studies that suggested a coexistence of bacterial and virulent phage populations in the mice gut (Maura et al 2012; Lourenço et al 2020; B. B. Hsu et al 2019; Mirzaei and Maurice 2017; Kirsch et al 2021). This important observation suggests that capsule expression may not be systematic in the gut, either due to non-uniform expression along the gastrointestinal tract, or over time, or in specific sub-niches even in the absence of selection by phages (Lourenço et al 2020; 2022).…”

The Colorectal Cancer Microbiota Alter Their Transcriptome To Adapt to the Acidity, Reactive Oxygen Species, and Metabolite Availability of Gut Microenvironments

“…The microbiota evolved numerous adaptive mechanisms by which they can exchange and expand their genetic information. One of these mechanisms includes bacteriophage infection through lysogeny facilitated by their cohabitation ( 67 ). We also observed that the microbiota in the cancerous gut promote HT, a prominent feature of biofilms ( 28 ).…”

Effect ofSargassumon the Behavior and Survival of the EarthwormEisenia fetida

“…However, phenols do not have a lethal effect, as earthworms produce active metabolites called “drilodefensins” to offset the inhibitory effect of polyphenols (Liebeke et al 2015). It has also been suggested that the symbiotic bacteria-phage interaction (more bacteria, less viruses) in the gut of earthworms facilitates the adaptation of microbiota to stress by pollutants (Kirsch et al 2021; Knowles et al 2016; Xia et al 2023). Phages found as virions within microbial cells provide resistance to pollutants present at low concentrations (Xia et al 2023); for example, a cooperative bacteria-phage relationship has been reported associated with low benzene(a)pyrene (BaP) levels (Xia et al 2023).…”