Protection of bacteriophage-sensitive <i>Escherichia coli</i> by lysogens
Stanley Brown, Namiko Mitarai, Kim Sneppen
Abstract
Significance Some viruses that infect bacteria, temperate bacteriophages, can confer immunity to infection by the same virus. Here we report λ -immune bacteria could protect λ -sensitive bacteria from killing by phage λ in mixed culture. The protection depended on the extent to which the immune bacteria were able to adsorb the phage. Reconciling modeling with experiment led to identifying a decline in protection as bacteria stopped growing. Adsorption of λ was compromised by inhibition of bacterial energy metabolism, explaining the loss of protection as bacterial growth ceased.
Topics & Concepts
LysogenBacteriophageEscherichia coliLysogenic cycleMicrobiologyChemistryVirologyBiologyGeneticsGeneBacteriophages and microbial interactionsEvolution and Genetic DynamicsBacterial Genetics and Biotechnology