Tripartite species interaction: eukaryotic hosts suffer more from phage susceptible than from phage resistant bacteria.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Evolutionary shifts in bacterial virulence are often associated with a third biological player, for instance temperate phages, that can act as hyperparasites. By integrating as prophages into the bacterial genome they can contribute accessory genes, which can enhance the fitness of their prokaryotic carrier (lysogenic conversion). Hyperparasitic influence in tripartite biotic interactions has so far been largely neglected in empirical host-parasite studies due to their inherent complexity. Here we experimentally address whether bacterial resistance to phages and bacterial harm to eukaryotic hosts is linked using a natural tri-partite system with bacteria of the genus Vibrio, temperate vibriophages and the pipefish Syngnathus typhle. We induced prophages from all bacteria

SUBMITTER: Wendling CC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5387238 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature