Phage-Resistant Phase-Variant Sub-populations Mediate Herd Immunity Against Bacteriophage Invasion of Bacterial Meta-Populations.

ABSTRACT: Hypermutable loci are widespread in bacteria as mechanisms for rapid generation of phenotypic diversity within a population that enables survival of fluctuating, often antagonistic, selection pressures. Localized hypermutation can mediate phase variation and enable survival of bacteriophage predation due to high frequency, reversible alterations in the expression of phage receptors. As phase variation can also generate population-to-population heterogeneity, we hypothesized that this phenomenon may facilitate survival of spatially-separated bacterial populations from phage invasion in a manner analogous to herd immunity to infectious diseases in human populations. The lic2A gene of Haemophilus influenzae is subject to "ON" and "OFF" switches in expression mediated by mutation

SUBMITTER: Turkington CJR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6625227 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature