Individual bacteria in structured environments rely on phenotypic resistance to phage.
Bacteriophages represent an avenue to overcome the current antibiotic resistance crisis, but evolution of genetic resistance to phages remains a concern. In vitro, bacteria evolve genetic resistance, preventing phage adsorption or degrading phage DNA. In natural environments, evolved resistance is l...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2021-10-01
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| Series: | PLoS Biology |
| Online Access: | https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.3001406&type=printable |
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| author | Erin L Attrill Rory Claydon Urszula Łapińska Mario Recker Sean Meaden Aidan T Brown Edze R Westra Sarah V Harding Stefano Pagliara |
| author_facet | Erin L Attrill Rory Claydon Urszula Łapińska Mario Recker Sean Meaden Aidan T Brown Edze R Westra Sarah V Harding Stefano Pagliara |
| author_sort | Erin L Attrill |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Bacteriophages represent an avenue to overcome the current antibiotic resistance crisis, but evolution of genetic resistance to phages remains a concern. In vitro, bacteria evolve genetic resistance, preventing phage adsorption or degrading phage DNA. In natural environments, evolved resistance is lower possibly because the spatial heterogeneity within biofilms, microcolonies, or wall populations favours phenotypic survival to lytic phages. However, it is also possible that the persistence of genetically sensitive bacteria is due to less efficient phage amplification in natural environments, the existence of refuges where bacteria can hide, and a reduced spread of resistant genotypes. Here, we monitor the interactions between individual planktonic bacteria in isolation in ephemeral refuges and bacteriophage by tracking the survival of individual cells. We find that in these transient spatial refuges, phenotypic resistance due to reduced expression of the phage receptor is a key determinant of bacterial survival. This survival strategy is in contrast with the emergence of genetic resistance in the absence of ephemeral refuges in well-mixed environments. Predictions generated via a mathematical modelling framework to track bacterial response to phages reveal that the presence of spatial refuges leads to fundamentally different population dynamics that should be considered in order to predict and manipulate the evolutionary and ecological dynamics of bacteria-phage interactions in naturally structured environments. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a10eff5e12c94ff8a153cfc15a290d0a |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1544-9173 1545-7885 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2021-10-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS Biology |
| spelling | doaj-art-a10eff5e12c94ff8a153cfc15a290d0a2025-08-20T02:23:08ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Biology1544-91731545-78852021-10-011910e300140610.1371/journal.pbio.3001406Individual bacteria in structured environments rely on phenotypic resistance to phage.Erin L AttrillRory ClaydonUrszula ŁapińskaMario ReckerSean MeadenAidan T BrownEdze R WestraSarah V HardingStefano PagliaraBacteriophages represent an avenue to overcome the current antibiotic resistance crisis, but evolution of genetic resistance to phages remains a concern. In vitro, bacteria evolve genetic resistance, preventing phage adsorption or degrading phage DNA. In natural environments, evolved resistance is lower possibly because the spatial heterogeneity within biofilms, microcolonies, or wall populations favours phenotypic survival to lytic phages. However, it is also possible that the persistence of genetically sensitive bacteria is due to less efficient phage amplification in natural environments, the existence of refuges where bacteria can hide, and a reduced spread of resistant genotypes. Here, we monitor the interactions between individual planktonic bacteria in isolation in ephemeral refuges and bacteriophage by tracking the survival of individual cells. We find that in these transient spatial refuges, phenotypic resistance due to reduced expression of the phage receptor is a key determinant of bacterial survival. This survival strategy is in contrast with the emergence of genetic resistance in the absence of ephemeral refuges in well-mixed environments. Predictions generated via a mathematical modelling framework to track bacterial response to phages reveal that the presence of spatial refuges leads to fundamentally different population dynamics that should be considered in order to predict and manipulate the evolutionary and ecological dynamics of bacteria-phage interactions in naturally structured environments.https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.3001406&type=printable |
| spellingShingle | Erin L Attrill Rory Claydon Urszula Łapińska Mario Recker Sean Meaden Aidan T Brown Edze R Westra Sarah V Harding Stefano Pagliara Individual bacteria in structured environments rely on phenotypic resistance to phage. PLoS Biology |
| title | Individual bacteria in structured environments rely on phenotypic resistance to phage. |
| title_full | Individual bacteria in structured environments rely on phenotypic resistance to phage. |
| title_fullStr | Individual bacteria in structured environments rely on phenotypic resistance to phage. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Individual bacteria in structured environments rely on phenotypic resistance to phage. |
| title_short | Individual bacteria in structured environments rely on phenotypic resistance to phage. |
| title_sort | individual bacteria in structured environments rely on phenotypic resistance to phage |
| url | https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.3001406&type=printable |
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