{"database":"biostudies-literature","file_versions":[],"scores":null,"additional":{"submitter":["Mora-Quilis L"],"funding":["European Social Fund Plus","Government of Valencia Ministry of Innovation Universities Science and Society","Government of Spain Ministry of Universities","Spain Ministry of Science Innovation and Universities","Generalitat Valenciana"],"pagination":["114107"],"full_dataset_link":["https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC12719783"],"repository":["biostudies-literature"],"omics_type":["Unknown"],"volume":["28(12)"],"pubmed_abstract":["Capsule loss is a major mechanism by which bacteria evade phage infection. This has traditionally been attributed to mutations in capsule biosynthesis genes. Here, we investigated phage resistance in <i>Klebsiella pneumoniae</i>, a medically relevant encapsulated bacterium. Phage infection rapidly selected for resistant acapsular cells. As expected, transcriptomic analysis revealed a marked downregulation of capsule biosynthesis genes. However, full genome sequencing showed that capsule loss occurred without evidence of mutations, and acapsular phage-resistant cells were able to rapidly restore their capsule once phage pressure was removed. These findings highlight that phage-driven selective pressure can act on non-heritable variation in gene expression, providing a faster and more flexib"],"journal":["iScience"],"pubmed_title":["Reversible phenotypic resistance to phage infection via capsule downregulation in &lt;i&gt;Klebsiella pneumoniae&lt;/i&gt;."],"pmcid":["PMC12719783"],"funding_grant_id":["RYC2019-028015-I","PID2023-150309OB-I00","SEJIGENT/2021/014"],"pubmed_authors":["Mora-Quilis L","Sanjuan R","Domingo-Calap P"],"additional_accession":[]},"is_claimable":false,"name":"Reversible phenotypic resistance to phage infection via capsule downregulation in &lt;i&gt;Klebsiella pneumoniae&lt;/i&gt;.","description":"Capsule loss is a major mechanism by which bacteria evade phage infection. This has traditionally been attributed to mutations in capsule biosynthesis genes. Here, we investigated phage resistance in <i>Klebsiella pneumoniae</i>, a medically relevant encapsulated bacterium. Phage infection rapidly selected for resistant acapsular cells. As expected, transcriptomic analysis revealed a marked downregulation of capsule biosynthesis genes. However, full genome sequencing showed that capsule loss occurred without evidence of mutations, and acapsular phage-resistant cells were able to rapidly restore their capsule once phage pressure was removed. These findings highlight that phage-driven selective pressure can act on non-heritable variation in gene expression, providing a faster and more flexib","dates":{"release":"2025-01-01T00:00:00Z","publication":"2025 Dec","modification":"2026-06-06T05:24:53.07Z","creation":"2026-05-26T03:12:17.751Z"},"accession":"S-EPMC12719783","cross_references":{"pubmed":["41438077"],"doi":["10.1016/j.isci.2025.114107"]}}