Lytic Activity Spectra of Bacteriophages

Abstract

One of the central topics in bacteriophage research is the host specificity. It depends on the success of completing viral life cycle stages, including adsorption, penetration of the genetic material of the virus into the cell and its replication, assembly of phage particles and cell lysis. Laboratory assessments of the spectrum of lytic activity of phages are inextricably linked to significant methodological biases, and the often used spot test method can be associated with a large percentage of false-positive results. Along with the variety of types of phage specificity, there is temporal variability. The co-evolution of phages and bacteria leads to the acquisition of resistance to viruses by bacteria and the accumulation of mutations in the genomes of bacteriophages aimed at overcoming this resistance. At the same time, the adaptation of bacteriophages to bacteria that are evolutionarily distant from the isolation hosts is barely possible. This barrier is based on the peculiarities of metabolism, cell wall structures and mechanisms for the implementation of matrix processes. The spatial factor of phage specificity is manifested in the greater breadth of the spectra of lytic activity of bacteriophages on local samples of bacteria compared to the spectra assessed on samples of isolates from habitats geographically distant from the place of virus isolation.

Keywords

• bacteriophages
• lytic host spectrum
• bacteriophage specificity
• host range determinants
• host range breadth