Enteric Populations of<i>Escherichia coli</i>are Likely to be Resistant to Phages Due to O Antigen Production

Abstract Bioinformatic and experimental data show that bacteriophages are ubiquitous in human enteric microbiomes. However, there are gaps in understanding the contribution of these viruses in shaping the bacterial strain and species composition of the gut microbiome and how these phages are maintained over time. To address these questions, we adapted and analyzed the properties of a mathematical model of the population and evolutionary dynamics of bacteria and phage and performed experiments withEscherichia coliand phages isolated from four fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) doses as representative samples of non-dysbiotic enteric microbiota. Our models predict and experiments confirm that due to production of the O antigen,E. coliin the enteric microbiome are likely to be resistant to infection with co-occurring phages. However, phages can be maintained in these populations in high densities due to high rates of transition between resistant and sensitive states, which we call leaky resistance. Based on these models and observations, we postulate that the phages found in the human gut are likely to play little role in shaping the composition ofE. coliin the enteric microbiome in healthy individuals. How general this is for other species of bacteria in enteric microbiota is not yet clear, although O antigen production is broadly conserved across many taxa.Significance Statement Little is known about the role that bacteriophages play in shaping the bacterial species and strain composition in the human gut microbiome or how they are maintained over time in this dynamic environment. Here we show thatEscherichia coliisolated from fecal samples are likely to be resistant to their co-existing phages due to production of the O antigen. However, phages can be maintained in populations of mostly resistant bacteria if there is a rapid transition between resistant and sensitive states, a state called leaky resistance. Based on these results, we postulate that bacteriophages are likely playing little role of shaping the abundance and diversity of bacteria in the human gut microbiome in healthy individuals..

Medienart:	Preprint

Erscheinungsjahr:	2023
Erschienen:	2023

Enthalten in:	bioRxiv.org - (2023) vom: 11. Nov. Zur Gesamtaufnahme - year:2023

Sprache:	Englisch

Beteiligte Personen:	Berryhill, Brandon A. [VerfasserIn] Burke, Kylie B. [VerfasserIn] Fontaine, Jake [VerfasserIn] Brink, Catherine E. [VerfasserIn] Harvill, Mason G. [VerfasserIn] Goldberg, David A. [VerfasserIn] Konstantinidis, Konstantinos T. [VerfasserIn] Levin, Bruce R. [VerfasserIn] Woodworth, Michael H. [VerfasserIn]

Links:	Volltext [kostenfrei]

Themen:	570 Biology

doi:	10.1101/2023.11.08.566299

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PPN (Katalog-ID):	XBI041492625