Survival Strategies of Streptococcus pyogenes in Response to Phage Infection.

ABSTRACT: Bacteriophages exert strong evolutionary pressure on their microbial hosts. In their lytic lifecycle, complete bacterial subpopulations are utilized as hosts for bacteriophage replication. However, during their lysogenic lifecycle, bacteriophages can integrate into the host chromosome and alter the host's genomic make-up, possibly resulting in evolutionary important adjustments. Not surprisingly, bacteria have evolved sophisticated immune systems to protect against phage infection. Streptococcus pyogenes isolates are frequently lysogenic and their prophages have been shown to be major contributors to the virulence of this pathogen. Most S. pyogenes phage research has focused on genomic prophages in relation to virulence, but little is known about the defensive arsenal of S

SUBMITTER: Beerens D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8066415 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature