Protection of bacteriophage-sensitive <i>Escherichia coli</i> by lysogens.

Brown, Stanley; Mitarai, Namiko; Sneppen, Kim · Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A · 2022

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

SignificanceSome viruses that infect bacteria, temperate bacteriophages, can confer immunity to infection by the same virus. Here we report <i>λ</i>-immune bacteria could protect <i>λ</i>-sensitive bacteria from killing by phage <i>λ</i> 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 <i>λ</i> was compromised by inhibition of bacterial energy metabolism, explaining the loss of protection as bacterial growth ceased.

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