Transposable Element Insertions into the Escherichia coli Polysialic Acid Gene Cluster Result in Resistance to the K1F Bacteriophage
Kathryn M. Styles, Rebecca K. Locke, Lauren A. Cowley, Aidan T. Brown, Antonia P. Sagona
Abstract
Bacteriophages have many potential uses in industry and the clinical environment as an antibacterial control measure. One of their uses, phage therapy, is an appealing alternative to antibiotics due to their high specificity. However, as with the rise in antimicrobial resistance (AMR), it is critical to improve our understanding of how resistance develops against these viral agents. In the same way as bacteria will evolve and mutate antibiotic receptors so they can no longer be recognized, resistance to bacteriophages can come about via mutations to phage receptors, preventing phage binding and infection. We have shown that Escherichia coli will become resistant to the K1F bacteriophage via insertion element reshufflings causing null mutations to elements of the polysialic acid biosynthetic cluster. Exposure to the T7 bacteriophage then resulted in further changes in the position of these IS elements, further altering their resistance and sensitivity profiles.