What makes a temperate phage an effective bacterial weapon?

• DOI: 10.1128/msystems.01036-23
• Publication Date: 2024-05-10T13:00:22Z
• Authors: M. J. N. Thomas; M. A. Brockhurst; K. Z. Coyte
• Keywords: Lysogen; Temperateness; Lysogenic cycle

Temperate bacteriophages (phages) are common features of bacterial genomes and can act as self-amplifying biological weapons, killing susceptible competitors thus increasing the fitness their hosts (lysogens). Despite prevalence, however, key characteristics an effective temperate phage weapon remain unclear. Here, we use systematic mathematical analyses coupled with experimental tests to understand what makes weapon. We find that effectiveness is controlled by life history traits-in particular, probability lysis induction rate-but optimal combination traits varies initial frequency a lysogen within population. As consequence, certain weapons be detrimental when rare yet beneficial common, while subtle changes in individual completely reverse impact on fitness. confirm predictions our model experimentally, using phages isolated from clinically relevant Liverpool epidemic strain