Temperate Bacteriophages from Chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa Lung Infections Show Disease-Specific Changes in Host Range and Modulate Antimicrobial Susceptibility.

Temperate bacteriophages are a common feature of genomes, but their role in chronic lung infections is poorly understood. This study was designed to identify the diverse communities of mobile phages by employing novel metagenomic methods, to determine cross infectivity, and to demonstrate the influence of phage infection on antimicrobial susceptibility. Mixed temperate phage populations were chemically mobilized from individual , isolated from patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) or bronchiectasis (BR).

A metagenomic approach to characterize temperate bacteriophage populations from Cystic Fibrosis and non-Cystic Fibrosis bronchiectasis patients.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa), normally a soil commensal, is an important opportunistic pathogen in Cystic Fibrosis (CF) and non-Cystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis (nCFBR). Persistent infection correlates with accelerated decline in lung function and early mortality. The horizontal transfer of DNA by temperate bacteriophages can add gene function and selective advantages to their bacterial host within the constrained environment of the lower lung.