Bacteriophages and bacterial biofilms are widely present in natural environments, a fact that has accelerated the evolution of phages and their bacterial hosts in these particular niches. Phage-host interactions in biofilm communities are rather complex, where phages are not always merely predators but also can establish symbiotic relationships that induce and strengthen biofilms. In this review we provide an overview of the main features affecting phage-biofilm interactions as well as the currently available methods of studying these interactions. In addition, we address the applications of phages for biofilm control in different contexts.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1146/annurev-virology-091919-074222 | DOI Listing |
iScience
January 2025
Key Laboratory of Resources Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology of Shaanxi Province, the College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, China.
Bacteriophages (phages) are increasingly viewed as a promising alternative for the treatment of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections. However, the diversity of host ranges complicates the identification of target phages. Existing computational tools often fail to accurately identify phages across different bacterial species.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAntibiotics (Basel)
January 2025
Department of Biotechnology, Ghent University, Valentin Vaerwyckweg 1, 9000 Gent, Belgium.
Phage tail-like bacteriocins, or tailocins, provide a competitive advantage to producer cells by killing closely related bacteria. Morphologically similar to headless phages, their narrow target specificity is determined by receptor-binding proteins (RBPs). While RBP engineering has been used to alter the target range of a selected R2 tailocin from , the process is labor-intensive, limiting broader application.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBiofilm
June 2025
Instituto de Productos Lácteos de Asturias (IPLA-CSIC)C/ Francisco Pintado Fe 26, 33011, Oviedo, Asturias, Spain.
Environmental cues sometimes have a direct impact on phage particle stability, as well as bacterial physiology and metabolism, having a profound effect on phage infection outcome. Here, we explore the impact of temperature on the interplay between phage (phiIPLA-RODI) and its host, . Our results show that phiIPLA-RODI is a more effective predator at room (25 °C) compared to body temperature (37 °C) against planktonic cultures of several strains with varying degrees of phage susceptibility.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnviron Sci Technol
January 2025
College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
The plastisphere, defined as the ecological niche for microbial colonization of plastic debris, has been recognized as a hotspot of pathogenic and antibiotic-resistant bacteria. However, the interactions between bacteria and phages facilitated by the plastisphere, as well as their impact on microbial risks to public health, remain unclear. Here, we analyzed public metagenomic data from 180 plastisphere and environmental samples, stemming from four different habitats and two plastic types (biodegradable and nonbiodegradable plastics) and obtained 611 nonredundant metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) and 4061 nonredundant phage contigs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBrief Bioinform
November 2024
College of Communication Engineering, Jilin University, No. 2699 Qianjin Street, Chaoyang District, Changchun 130012, China.
Antibiotic resistance poses a significant threat to global health, making the development of alternative strategies to combat bacterial pathogens increasingly urgent. One such promising approach is the strategic use of bacteriophages (or phages) to specifically target and eradicate antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Phages, being among the most prevalent life forms on Earth, play a critical role in maintaining ecological balance by regulating bacterial communities and driving genetic diversity.
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