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Phage biology is the scientific discipline concerned with the study of all biological aspects of bacteriophages (phages), which are viruses that infect bacteria. This includes the distribution, biochemistry, physiology, cell biology, ecology, evolution and applications of phages.
This protocol describes toxin activation–inhibition conjugation (TAC–TIC), a reverse genetics screening approach that can be used to identify triggers or blockers of bacterial toxin–antitoxin or phage immunity systems.
SAR11 bacteria and their phages are abundant in the oceans. Here the authors quantify the number of phage-infected SAR11 cells using microscopy techniques and discover phage-infected cells without any detectable ribosomes. They hypothesize that ribosomal RNA may be used for the synthesis of phage genomes.
The Gabija system constitutes one of the most prevalent anti-phage defense systems and is composed of GajA and GajB. Here, using cryo-EM and biochemistry, the authors show that GajA and GajB form a supramolecular complex with a stoichiometry of 4:4 to promote anti-phage defense.
Some phages use plasmid-encoded conjugation proteins as receptors to infect their bacterial hosts, making their host range dependent on horizontal transfer of the plasmid. Here, the authors present a method for identification of new plasmid-dependent phages, and find that they are common and abundant in wastewater and their genetic diversity is largely unexplored.
The authors propose a model for the mechanism underlying how a phage defence system remains primed for infection but tightly controlled to prevent host toxicity.
This study shows that a single-stranded RNA phage binds to the Pseudomonas aeruginosa type IV pilus, leading to phage entry into the cell and the detachment of the pilus, which impairs bacterial motility.
Two recent studies provide mechanistic understanding of how bacteria employ the Gabija system for defence against phages, as well as how phages use anti-defence proteins to overcome bacterial immunity.
A combination of four phages engineered with a CRISPR–Cas payload can reduce the burden of Escherichia coli infections in animal models without inducing the host immune response.
This Genome Watch explores how large-scale microbiome studies are facilitating discoveries in bacteriophage biology and functional capabilities that are prime for translation towards advances in biotechnology and biotherapeutics.