TY - JOUR
T1 - More than simple parasites
T2 - The sociobiology of bacteriophages and their bacterial hosts
AU - Secor, Patrick R.
AU - Dandekar, Ajai A.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Secor and Dandekar.
PY - 2020/3/1
Y1 - 2020/3/1
N2 - Bacteria harbor viruses called bacteriophages that, like all viruses, coopt the host cellular machinery to replicate. Although this relationship is at first glance parasitic, there are social interactions among and between bacteriophages and their bacterial hosts. These social interactions can take on many forms, including cooperation, altruism, and cheating. Such behaviors among individuals in groups of bacteria have been well described. However, the social nature of some interactions between phages or phages and bacteria is only now becoming clear. We are just beginning to understand how bacteriophages affect the sociobiology of bacteria, and we know even less about social interactions within bacteriophage populations. In this review, we discuss recent developments in our understanding of bacteriophage sociobiology, including how selective pressures influence the outcomes of social interactions between populations of bacteria and bacteriophages. We also explore how tripartite social interactions between bacteria, bacteriophages, and an animal host affect host-microbe interactions. Finally, we argue that understanding the sociobiology of bacteriophages will have implications for the therapeutic use of bacteriophages to treat bacterial infections.
AB - Bacteria harbor viruses called bacteriophages that, like all viruses, coopt the host cellular machinery to replicate. Although this relationship is at first glance parasitic, there are social interactions among and between bacteriophages and their bacterial hosts. These social interactions can take on many forms, including cooperation, altruism, and cheating. Such behaviors among individuals in groups of bacteria have been well described. However, the social nature of some interactions between phages or phages and bacteria is only now becoming clear. We are just beginning to understand how bacteriophages affect the sociobiology of bacteria, and we know even less about social interactions within bacteriophage populations. In this review, we discuss recent developments in our understanding of bacteriophage sociobiology, including how selective pressures influence the outcomes of social interactions between populations of bacteria and bacteriophages. We also explore how tripartite social interactions between bacteria, bacteriophages, and an animal host affect host-microbe interactions. Finally, we argue that understanding the sociobiology of bacteriophages will have implications for the therapeutic use of bacteriophages to treat bacterial infections.
KW - Bacteria
KW - Bacteriophage
KW - Cheater
KW - Cooperation
KW - Sociobiology
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85081665336&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1128/mBio.00041-20
DO - 10.1128/mBio.00041-20
M3 - Short survey
C2 - 32156804
AN - SCOPUS:85081665336
SN - 2161-2129
VL - 11
JO - mBio
JF - mBio
IS - 2
M1 - e00041-20
ER -