Phage Communities Coexist on Single Bacterial Strain, Offering Clues for New Antibiotics
phage Diversity: A New Weapon Against Antibiotic-resistant Bacteria?
New research suggests that multiple types of viruses can coexist on a single bacteria strain, opening up exciting possibilities for phage-based therapies.
A groundbreaking study from scientists at New York University,Yale University,and other institutions has revealed a surprising phenomenon: several different types of viruses,known as phages,can coexist stably on a single strain of E. coli bacteria. This discovery, published in the journal Science, could pave the way for innovative phage-based treatments for bacterial infections, including those resistant to antibiotics.
“Our study contributes to the burgeoning field of studying the social lives of viruses,” said Nora Pyenson, PhD, a postdoctoral scholar at NYU Langone Health and lead author of the study. “We often think of viruses purely in terms of their impact on the host, but they also exist in the context of other viral species. These phage communities show how diversity emerges even among the simplest bits of biology.”
The researchers isolated and analyzed E.coli phages from various environmental samples. They found that despite competition between viruses, different phage species preferred to infect either faster or slower growing cells that randomly appeared within the E. coli population. This preference allowed each phage species to carve out its own niche on the same host. For example, two phage species, labeled N and S, co-existed because N thrived in fast-growing bacterial cells, while phage S did better with slow-growing cells.
This finding challenges the assumption that bacterial genetic diversity limits viral diversity. the study demonstrates that a single bacterial strain can host a diverse community of phage species, with those species coexisting over time.
“Knowing how more than one kind of phage can survive over time on a single bacterium could help in designing next-generation phage cocktails,” pyenson explained. “For example, each phage species might attack the bacterium in a different part of its lifecycle and [enable] the whole population to be killed before resistance to the treatment evolves.”
Currently, phage therapies for bacterial infections are limited due to their inability to consistently eliminate all bacterial targets or the development of bacterial resistance. However, this new research offers hope for more effective treatments.
Several labs are already working to develop phage therapies. Paul Turner, PhD, a co-author of the study and a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at Yale University, is leading a clinical trial using phages to target Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a bacterium that can cause severe lung inflammation in cystic fibrosis patients. Simultaneously occurring, Jonas Schluter, PhD, another study co-author and a professor in the microbiology department at NYU Langone Health, is studying the role of phages in the gut ecosystem of humans and mice, aiming to develop worldwide phage therapies for infections caused by bacteria like Salmonella.
“this work represents a shift in our understanding of phage ecology,” Schluter noted. “We can now begin to understand the evolution of phages when they are in community with diverse viral species and how this shapes their role in health and disease.”
Can Phage Diversity Rewrite the Story of Antibiotic Resistance?
NewsDirectory3.com: A groundbreaking study published in Science throws open the door to exciting possibilities in the fight against antibiotic-resistant bacteria.Scientists from NYU, Yale, and other institutions have discovered that multiple types of viruses, known as phages, can coexist stably on a single strain of E. coli bacteria. This unexpected finding could pave the way for more effective phage-based therapies for bacterial infections.
“We frequently enough think of viruses purely in terms of their impact on the host, but they also exist in the context of other viral species,” explains lead author Dr. Nora Pyenson, a postdoctoral scholar at NYU Langone Health. “These phage communities show us how diversity emerges even among the simplest bits of biology.”
The research team isolated and analyzed E. coli phages from various environmental samples, revealing a surprising coexistence. While phages compete for resources, different species have evolved to specialize in infecting either fast- or slow-growing E. coli cells within the same bacterial population. This niche partitioning allows each phage species to thrive despite competition.
This discovery challenges the long-held belief that bacterial genetic diversity limits viral diversity. Instead, the study demonstrates that a single bacterial strain can host a diverse community of phages, potentially leading to more potent and targeted phage-based therapies.
“Knowing how more than one kind of phage can survive over time on a single bacterium could help us design next-generation phage cocktails,” Dr. Pyenson explains. She envisions phage cocktails that target a bacterium at multiple stages of its lifecycle, potentially preventing the advancement of resistance.
The potential of phage therapy is already being tapped by researchers. Dr. Paul turner, a co-author, is leading a clinical trial using phages to combat Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections in cystic fibrosis patients. Meanwhile, Dr. Jonas Schluter, another co-author, is exploring the role of phages in the gut microbiome, aiming to develop phage therapies for infections caused by bacteria like Salmonella.
Dr. Schluter emphasizes the meaning of this research, stating, “This work represents a shift in our understanding of phage ecology. We can now begin to understand how phages evolve when in community with diverse viral species and how this shapes their role in health and disease.”