Phage biology articles within Nature Communications

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  • Article
    | Open Access

    Bacterial pathogens often carry multiple phage-derived elements within their genome. Here, the authors show that two phage elements are co-regulated in Listeria monocytogenes, the first one controlling the induction of the second one, which in turn regulates virulence of their bacterial host.

    • Tal Argov
    • , Shai Ran Sapir
    •  & Anat A. Herskovits

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Prophages are viral genomes integrated within bacterial genomes. Here, Rezaei Javan et al. identify nearly 800 prophages and satellite prophages in > 1300 Streptococcus genomes, and show that a satellite prophage is associated with virulence in a mouse model of pneumococcal infection.

    • Reza Rezaei Javan
    • , Elisa Ramos-Sevillano
    •  & Angela B. Brueggemann

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Staphylococcus aureus pathogenicity islands (SaPIs) encode the master repressor Stl and after bacteriophage infection Stl interacts with specific phage proteins leading to a derepression of SaPIs. Here the authors provide structural insights into this family of repressors by determining the crystal structures of SaPIbov1 Stl alone and in complex with two structurally unrelated phage dUTPases.

    • J. Rafael Ciges-Tomas
    • , Christian Alite
    •  & Alberto Marina

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Single-stranded RNA bacteriophages use a single maturation protein (Mat) to attach to a retractile pilus of the bacterial host. Here, the authors report the structures of the MS2 phage bound to the host receptor F-pili and define the orientations of Mat relative to the cell and emanating F-pili, providing new insights into the F-like type IV secretion systems.

    • Ran Meng
    • , Mengqiu Jiang
    •  & Junjie Zhang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Gene transfer agents (GTAs) are ‘domesticated’ bacteriophages that can transfer any genes between bacteria. Here, Paul Fogg identifies a protein that directly regulates transcription of GTA genes and whose expression is in turn controlled by a global cell-cycle regulator and a quorum-sensing regulator.

    • Paul C. M. Fogg

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Mobile genetic elements called PLEs protect Vibrio cholerae from infection with phage ICP1 by unclear mechanisms. Here, McKitterick and Seed show that a PLE-encoded large serine recombinase exploits an ICP1 protein as a recombination directionality factor to excise this PLE in response to phage infection.

    • Amelia C. McKitterick
    •  & Kimberley D. Seed

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Host cell recognition is mediated by the phage tail tip proteins, which then triggers viral genome delivery via the phage tail. Here, the authors combine crystallography and cryoEM to structurally characterise the bacteriophage T5 tail tube structure before and after interaction with its host receptor.

    • Charles-Adrien Arnaud
    • , Grégory Effantin
    •  & Cécile Breyton

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Eukaryotic organisms are continuously exposed to bacteriophages, but these are not thought to enter non-phagocytic cells. Here, Lehti et al. show that a bacteriophage can bind to a specific receptor on the surface of human neuroblastoma cells in vitro, and be internalized via the endolysosomal route.

    • Timo A. Lehti
    • , Maria I. Pajunen
    •  & Jukka Finne

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Virophages are recently-identified small viruses that infect larger viruses, yet their diversity and ecological roles are poorly understood. Here, Roux and colleagues present time series metagenomics data revealing new virophage genera and their putative ecological interactions in two freshwater lakes.

    • Simon Roux
    • , Leong-Keat Chan
    •  & Matthew B. Sullivan

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Tailed bacteriophages assemble empty precursor capsids known as procapsids that are subsequently filled with viral DNA by a genome-packaging motor. Here the authors present a structure-based analysis that suggests the signal for termination of genome packaging is achieved through a DNA-dependent symmetrization of portal protein.

    • Ravi K. Lokareddy
    • , Rajeshwer S. Sankhala
    •  & Gino Cingolani

  • Article
    | Open Access

    MS2 is a single-stranded RNA bacteriophage that infects its host via adsorption to bacterial pili. Here the authors visualize the MS2 virion with asymmetric cryo-EM reconstruction, revealing that the genome of MS2 adopts a specific structure of asymmetrically distributed stem-loops connected to the capsid.

    • Roman I Koning
    • , Josue Gomez-Blanco
    •  & Abraham J. Koster

  • Article |

    The bacterial ‘adaptive’ immune system known as CRISPR-Cas destroys foreign DNA molecules, such as viral genomes, to which the cells have previously been exposed. Here, Hynes et al.show that this gain of immunity is favoured by exposure to defective viruses, a result reminiscent of vaccination.

    • Alexander P. Hynes
    • , Manuela Villion
    •  & Sylvain Moineau

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