Campylobacter phages use hypermutable polyG tracts to create phenotypic diversity and evade bacterial resistance
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- Campylobacter phages use hypermutable polyG tracts to create phenotypic diversity and evade bacterial resistance
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Phase variation is a common mechanism for creating phenotypic heterogeneity of surface structures in bacteria important for niche adaptation. In Campylobacter, phase variation occurs by random variation in hypermutable homonucleotide 7–11 G (polyG) tracts. To elucidate how phages adapt to phase-variable hosts, we study Fletchervirus phages infecting Campylobacter dependent on a phase-variable receptor. Our data demonstrate that Fletcherviruses mimic their host and encode hypermutable polyG tracts, leading to phase-variable expression of two of four receptor-binding proteins. This creates phenotypically diverse phage populations, including a sub-population that infects the bacterial host when the phase-variable receptor is not expressed. Such population dynamics of both phage and host promote co-existence in a shared niche. Strikingly, we identify polyG tracts in more than 100 phage genera, infecting more than 70 bacterial species. Future experimental work may confirm phase variation as a widespread strategy for creating phenotypically diverse phage populations.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 109214 |
Journal | Cell Reports |
Volume | 35 |
Issue number | 10 |
Number of pages | 20 |
ISSN | 2211-1247 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2021 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 The Authors
- Campylobacter, Fletchervirus, MeOPN, phage receptor, phage resistance, phages, phase variation, polyG tracts, receptor binding proteins
Research areas
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