Experimental Evolution of Specialism in a Wild Virus

摘要: A pathogen's ability to successfully replicate and persist within a new host population is fraught with obstacles. While an expanded host-range allows for a greater chance at successful replication, such generalists are typically outcompeted by species which have specialized adapted host-specific features. Although the most ubiquitous on earth, very few bacteria-infecting viral (bacteriophages) with truly broad host-ranges been identified; this is partially due to fact that only small fraction of bacteria (and thus likely hosts) are amenable laboratory conditions. Nevertheless, processes expanding as well narrowing host-range not understood despite their profound importance furthering our understanding pathogens, be it bacteriophages or impacting human health. Following isolation of novel bacteriophage named ФHabibi, we identified this generalist species' host-range, including several Enterobacteriaceae. In order examine cost generalism, we propagated 30 lines ФHabibi: 10 were exposed only naive E. coli C cells, exposed naive P. aeruginosa, alternated every 16 generations between naive populations two (serving control). no reduction in fitness was observed on either control lines, case experimental conditions. Lines propagated through cultures more fit in C. Likewise, P. aeruginosa cultures more fit aeruginosa. Moreover, specialization as changes phage development, from lytic lysogenic and pseudolysogenic, result restricting host diversity providing insight into consequences of host-range.