Hard to jump: host shifts appear unlikely in a T4-like phage evolved in the lab.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Bacteriophage therapy is emerging as a promising alternative to antibiotics, particularly in the face of rising antimicrobial resistance. However, concerns remain regarding host shifts, where therapeutic phages could evolve to infect and harm beneficial commensal bacteria. Understanding how frequently host shifts occur and what evolutionary constraints shape them is critical to assessing the safety of phage therapy.

Methods

We investigated the evolutionary potential for host shifts using Escherichia coli-infecting phage BW-1. Experimental evolution was conducted under controlled conditions that favored adaptation, using both non-permissive (unable to infect) and semi-permissive (low infectivity) bacterial strains. Virulence was assayed across hosts, and whole-ge

SUBMITTER: Ning Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12685909 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature