microLifePub Date : 2024-05-22eCollection Date: 2024-01-01DOI: 10.1093/femsml/uqae010
{"title":"Correction to: multireceptor phage cocktail against <i>Salmonella enterica</i> to circumvent phage resistance.","authors":"","doi":"10.1093/femsml/uqae010","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/femsml/uqae010","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1093/femsml/uqae003.].</p>","PeriodicalId":74189,"journal":{"name":"microLife","volume":"5 ","pages":"uqae010"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11110844/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141082925","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
microLifePub Date : 2024-05-20eCollection Date: 2024-01-01DOI: 10.1093/femsml/uqae011
Carrie Julia Moore, Till L V Bornemann, Perla Abigail Figueroa-Gonzalez, Sarah P Esser, Cristina Moraru, André Rodrigues Soares, Tjorven Hinzke, Anke Trautwein-Schult, Sandra Maaß, Dörte Becher, Joern Starke, Julia Plewka, Lousia Rothe, Alexander J Probst
{"title":"Time-series metaproteogenomics of a high-CO<sub>2</sub> aquifer reveals active viruses with fluctuating abundances and broad host ranges.","authors":"Carrie Julia Moore, Till L V Bornemann, Perla Abigail Figueroa-Gonzalez, Sarah P Esser, Cristina Moraru, André Rodrigues Soares, Tjorven Hinzke, Anke Trautwein-Schult, Sandra Maaß, Dörte Becher, Joern Starke, Julia Plewka, Lousia Rothe, Alexander J Probst","doi":"10.1093/femsml/uqae011","DOIUrl":"10.1093/femsml/uqae011","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Ecosystems subject to mantle degassing are of particular interest for understanding global biogeochemistry, as their microbiomes are shaped by prolonged exposure to high CO<sub>2</sub> and have recently been suggested to be highly active. While the genetic diversity of bacteria and archaea in these deep biosphere systems have been studied extensively, little is known about how viruses impact these microbial communities. Here, we show that the viral community in a high-CO<sub>2</sub> cold-water geyser (Wallender Born, Germany) undergoes substantial fluctuations over a period of 12 days, although the corresponding prokaryotic community remains stable, indicating a newly observed \"infect to keep in check\" strategy that maintains prokaryotic community structure. We characterized the viral community using metagenomics and metaproteomics, revealing 8 654 viral operational taxonomic units (vOTUs). CRISPR spacer-to-protospacer matching linked 278 vOTUs to 32 hosts, with many vOTUs sharing hosts from different families. High levels of viral structural proteins present in the metaproteome (several structurally annotated based on AlphaFold models) indicate active virion production at the time of sampling. Viral genomes expressed many proteins involved in DNA metabolism and manipulation, and encoded for auxiliary metabolic genes, which likely bolster phosphate and sulfur metabolism of their hosts. The active viral community encodes genes to facilitate acquisition and transformation of host nutrients, and appears to consist of many nutrient-demanding members, based on abundant virion proteins. These findings indicate viruses are inextricably linked to the biogeochemical cycling in this high-CO<sub>2</sub> environment and substantially contribute to prokaryotic community stability in the deep biosphere hotspots.</p>","PeriodicalId":74189,"journal":{"name":"microLife","volume":"5 ","pages":"uqae011"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11162154/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141297482","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
microLifePub Date : 2024-04-12DOI: 10.1093/femsml/uqae009
{"title":"Correction to: Multireceptor phage cocktail against Salmonella enterica to circumvent phage resistance","authors":"","doi":"10.1093/femsml/uqae009","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/femsml/uqae009","url":null,"abstract":"[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1093/femsml/uqae003.].","PeriodicalId":74189,"journal":{"name":"microLife","volume":"25 60","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140711451","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
microLifePub Date : 2024-04-05DOI: 10.1093/femsml/uqae008
Pascale Cossart, Jörg Hacker, David H Holden, Staffan Normark, Jörg Vogel
{"title":"Meeting report ‘Microbiology 2023: from single cell to microbiome and host’, an international interacademy conference in Würzburg","authors":"Pascale Cossart, Jörg Hacker, David H Holden, Staffan Normark, Jörg Vogel","doi":"10.1093/femsml/uqae008","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/femsml/uqae008","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract On September 20–22 September 2023, the international conference ‘Microbiology 2023: from single cell to microbiome and host’ convened microbiologists from across the globe for a very successful symposium, showcasing cutting-edge research in the field. Invited lecturers delivered exceptional presentations covering a wide range of topics, with a major emphasis on phages and microbiomes, on the relevant bacteria within these ecosystems, and their multifaceted roles in diverse environments. Discussions also spanned the intricate analysis of fundamental bacterial processes, such as cell division, stress resistance, and interactions with phages. Organized by four renowned Academies, the German Leopoldina, the French Académie des sciences, the Royal Society UK, and the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, the symposium provided a dynamic platform for experts to share insights and discoveries, leaving participants inspired and eager to integrate new knowledge into their respective projects. The success of Microbiology 2023 prompted the decision to host the next quadrennial academic meeting in Sweden. This choice underscores the commitment to fostering international collaboration and advancing the frontiers of microbiological knowledge. The transition to Sweden promises to be an exciting step in the ongoing global dialogue and specific collaborations on microbiology, a field where researchers will continue to push the boundaries of knowledge, understanding, and innovation not only in health and disease but also in ecology.","PeriodicalId":74189,"journal":{"name":"microLife","volume":"18 18","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140738845","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
microLifePub Date : 2024-04-05eCollection Date: 2024-01-01DOI: 10.1093/femsml/uqae006
Jean-Marie Alempic, Hugo Bisio, Alejandro Villalta, Sébastien Santini, Audrey Lartigue, Alain Schmitt, Claire Bugnot, Anna Notaro, Lucid Belmudes, Annie Adrait, Olivier Poirot, Denis Ptchelkine, Cristina De Castro, Yohann Couté, Chantal Abergel
{"title":"Functional redundancy revealed by the deletion of the mimivirus GMC-oxidoreductase genes.","authors":"Jean-Marie Alempic, Hugo Bisio, Alejandro Villalta, Sébastien Santini, Audrey Lartigue, Alain Schmitt, Claire Bugnot, Anna Notaro, Lucid Belmudes, Annie Adrait, Olivier Poirot, Denis Ptchelkine, Cristina De Castro, Yohann Couté, Chantal Abergel","doi":"10.1093/femsml/uqae006","DOIUrl":"10.1093/femsml/uqae006","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The mimivirus 1.2 Mb genome was shown to be organized into a nucleocapsid-like genomic fiber encased in the nucleoid compartment inside the icosahedral capsid. The genomic fiber protein shell is composed of a mixture of two GMC-oxidoreductase paralogs, one of them being the main component of the glycosylated layer of fibrils at the surface of the virion. In this study, we determined the effect of the deletion of each of the corresponding genes on the genomic fiber and the layer of surface fibrils. First, we deleted the GMC-oxidoreductase, the most abundant in the genomic fiber, and determined its structure and composition in the mutant. As expected, it was composed of the second GMC-oxidoreductase and contained 5- and 6-start helices similar to the wild-type fiber. This result led us to propose a model explaining their coexistence. Then we deleted the GMC-oxidoreductase, the most abundant in the layer of fibrils, to analyze its protein composition in the mutant. Second, we showed that the fitness of single mutants and the double mutant were not decreased compared with the wild-type viruses under laboratory conditions. Third, we determined that deleting the GMC-oxidoreductase genes did not impact the glycosylation or the glycan composition of the layer of surface fibrils, despite modifying their protein composition. Because the glycosylation machinery and glycan composition of members of different clades are different, we expanded the analysis of the protein composition of the layer of fibrils to members of the B and C clades and showed that it was different among the three clades and even among isolates within the same clade. Taken together, the results obtained on two distinct central processes (genome packaging and virion coating) illustrate an unexpected functional redundancy in members of the family <i>Mimiviridae</i>, suggesting this may be the major evolutionary force behind their giant genomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":74189,"journal":{"name":"microLife","volume":"5 ","pages":"uqae006"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11042495/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140873950","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
microLifePub Date : 2024-03-30DOI: 10.1093/femsml/uqae007
Pablo Iturbe, Alvaro San Martín, Hiroshi Hamamoto, Marina Marcet, Toni Gabaldon, C. Solano, Í. Lasa
{"title":"Noncontiguous operon atlas for the Staphylococcus aureus genome","authors":"Pablo Iturbe, Alvaro San Martín, Hiroshi Hamamoto, Marina Marcet, Toni Gabaldon, C. Solano, Í. Lasa","doi":"10.1093/femsml/uqae007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/femsml/uqae007","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Bacteria synchronise the expression of genes with related functions by organizing genes into operons so that they are cotranscribed together in a single polycistronic messenger RNA. However, some cellular processes may benefit if the simultaneous production of the operon proteins coincides with the inhibition of the expression of an antagonist gene. To coordinate such situations, bacteria have evolved noncontiguous operons (NcOs), a subtype of operons that contain one or more genes that are transcribed in the opposite direction to the other operon genes. This structure results in overlapping transcripts whose expression is mutually repressed. The presence of NcOs cannot be predicted computationally and their identification requires a detailed knowledge of the bacterial transcriptome. In this study, we used direct RNA sequencing methodology to determine the NcOs map in the Staphylococcus aureus genome. We detected the presence of eighteen NcOs in the genome of S. aureus and four in the genome of the lysogenic prophage 80α. The identified NcOs comprise genes involved in energy metabolism, metal acquisition and transport, toxin-antitoxin systems and control of the phage life cycle. Using the menaquinone operon as a proof of concept, we show that disarrangement of the NcO architecture results in a reduction of bacterial fitness due to an increase in menaquinone levels and a decrease in the rate of oxygen consumption. Our study demonstrates the significance of NcO structures in bacterial physiology and emphasizes the importance of combining operon maps with transcriptomic data to uncover previously unnoticed functional relationships between neighbouring genes.","PeriodicalId":74189,"journal":{"name":"microLife","volume":"42 20","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140362205","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
microLifePub Date : 2024-03-28DOI: 10.1093/femsml/uqae005
Benjamin Kumwenda, Rocío Canals, A. Predeus, Xiaojun Zhu, Carsten Kröger, Caisey V. Pulford, N. Wenner, Lizeth Lacharme Lora, Yan Li, S. Owen, Dean Everett, K. Hokamp, R. Heyderman, Philip M Ashton, Melita A Gordon, C. Msefula, Jay C. D. Hinton
{"title":"Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium ST313 sublineage 2.2 has emerged in Malawi with a characteristic gene expression signature and a fitness advantage","authors":"Benjamin Kumwenda, Rocío Canals, A. Predeus, Xiaojun Zhu, Carsten Kröger, Caisey V. Pulford, N. Wenner, Lizeth Lacharme Lora, Yan Li, S. Owen, Dean Everett, K. Hokamp, R. Heyderman, Philip M Ashton, Melita A Gordon, C. Msefula, Jay C. D. Hinton","doi":"10.1093/femsml/uqae005","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/femsml/uqae005","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Invasive non-typhoidal Salmonella (iNTS) disease is a serious bloodstream infection that targets immune-compromised individuals, and causes significant mortality in sub-Saharan Africa. Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium ST313 causes the majority of iNTS in Malawi. We performed an intensive comparative genomic analysis of 608 S. Typhimurium ST313 isolates dating between 1996 and 2018 from Blantyre, Malawi. We discovered that following the arrival of the well-characterised S. Typhimurium ST313 lineage 2 in 1999, two multidrug-resistant variants emerged in Malawi in 2006 and 2008, designated sublineage 2.2 and 2.3 respectively. The majority of S. Typhimurium isolates from human bloodstream infections in Malawi now belong to sublineage 2.2 or 2.3. To understand the emergence of the prevalent ST313 sublineage 2.2, we studied two representative strains, D23580 (lineage 2) and D37712 (sublineage 2.2). The chromosome of ST313 lineage 2 and sublineage 2.2 only differed by 29 SNPs/small indels and a 3 kb deletion of a Gifsy-2 prophage region including the sseI pseudogene. Lineage 2 and sublineage 2.2 had distinctive plasmid profiles. The transcriptome was investigated in 15 infection-relevant in vitro conditions and within macrophages. During growth in physiological conditions that do not usually trigger S. Typhimurium SPI2 gene expression, the SPI2 genes of D37712 were transcriptionally active. We identified down-regulation of flagellar genes in D37712 compared with D23580. Following phenotypic confirmation of transcriptomic differences, we discovered that sublineage 2.2 had increased fitness compared with lineage 2 during mixed-growth in minimal media. We speculate that this competitive advantage is contributing to the emergence of sublineage 2.2 in Malawi.","PeriodicalId":74189,"journal":{"name":"microLife","volume":"120 47","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140369987","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
microLifePub Date : 2024-03-21DOI: 10.1093/femsml/uqae003
Carlos E Martinez-Soto, Michael McClelland, A. M. Kropinski, Janet T. Lin, C. Khursigara, H. Anany
{"title":"Multi-receptor phage cocktail against Salmonella enterica to circumvent phage resistance","authors":"Carlos E Martinez-Soto, Michael McClelland, A. M. Kropinski, Janet T. Lin, C. Khursigara, H. Anany","doi":"10.1093/femsml/uqae003","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/femsml/uqae003","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Non-Typhoidal Salmonella (NTS) is one of the most common foodborne pathogens worldwide, with poultry products being the major vehicle for pathogenesis in humans. The use of bacteriophage (phage) cocktails has recently emerged as a novel approach to enhancing food safety. Here, a multi-receptor Salmonella phage cocktail of five phages was developed and characterized. The cocktail targets four receptors: O-antigen, BtuB, OmpC, and rough Salmonella strains. Structural analysis indicated that all five phages belong to unique families or subfamilies. Genome analysis of four of the phages showed they were devoid of known virulence or antimicrobial resistance factors, indicating enhanced safety. The phage cocktail broad antimicrobial spectrum against Salmonella, significantly inhibiting the growth of all 66 strains from 20 serovars tested in vitro. The average bacteriophage insensitive mutant (BIM) frequency against the cocktail was 6.22×10−6 in S. Enteritidis, significantly lower than that of each of the individual phages. The phage cocktail reduced the load of Salmonella in inoculated chicken skin by 3.5 log10 CFU/cm2 after 48 hours at 25 and 15°C, and 2.5 log10 CFU/cm2 at 4°C. A genome-wide transduction assay was used to investigate the transduction efficiency of the selected phage in the cocktail. Only one of the four phages tested could transduce the kanamycin resistance cassette at a low frequency comparable to that of phage P22. Overall, the results support the potential of cocktails of phage that each target different host receptors to achieve complementary infection and reduce the emergence of phage resistance during biocontrol applications.","PeriodicalId":74189,"journal":{"name":"microLife","volume":"191 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140222595","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
microLifePub Date : 2024-02-28eCollection Date: 2024-01-01DOI: 10.1093/femsml/uqae002
Leena Putzeys, Laura Wicke, Maarten Boon, Vera van Noort, Jörg Vogel, Rob Lavigne
{"title":"Refining the transcriptional landscapes for distinct clades of virulent phages infecting <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i>.","authors":"Leena Putzeys, Laura Wicke, Maarten Boon, Vera van Noort, Jörg Vogel, Rob Lavigne","doi":"10.1093/femsml/uqae002","DOIUrl":"10.1093/femsml/uqae002","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The introduction of high-throughput sequencing has resulted in a surge of available bacteriophage genomes, unveiling their tremendous genomic diversity. However, our current understanding of the complex transcriptional mechanisms that dictate their gene expression during infection is limited to a handful of model phages. Here, we applied ONT-cappable-seq to reveal the transcriptional architecture of six different clades of virulent phages infecting <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i>. This long-read microbial transcriptomics approach is tailored to globally map transcription start and termination sites, transcription units, and putative RNA-based regulators on dense phage genomes. Specifically, the full-length transcriptomes of LUZ19, LUZ24, 14-1, YuA, PAK_P3, and giant phage phiKZ during early, middle, and late infection were collectively charted. Beyond pinpointing traditional promoter and terminator elements and transcription units, these transcriptional profiles provide insights in transcriptional attenuation and splicing events and allow straightforward validation of Group I intron activity. In addition, ONT-cappable-seq data can guide genome-wide discovery of novel regulatory element candidates, including noncoding RNAs and riboswitches. This work substantially expands the number of annotated phage-encoded transcriptional elements identified to date, shedding light on the intricate and diverse gene expression regulation mechanisms in <i>Pseudomonas</i> phages, which can ultimately be sourced as tools for biotechnological applications in phage and bacterial engineering.</p>","PeriodicalId":74189,"journal":{"name":"microLife","volume":"5 ","pages":"uqae002"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10914365/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140041097","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
microLifePub Date : 2024-02-20eCollection Date: 2024-01-01DOI: 10.1093/femsml/uqae004
Claire Périat, Thierry Kuhn, Matteo Buffi, Andrea Corona-Ramirez, Mathilda Fatton, Guillaume Cailleau, Patrick S Chain, Claire E Stanley, Lukas Y Wick, Saskia Bindschedler, Diego Gonzalez, Xiang-Yi Li Richter, Pilar Junier
{"title":"Host and nonhost bacteria support bacteriophage dissemination along mycelia and abiotic dispersal networks.","authors":"Claire Périat, Thierry Kuhn, Matteo Buffi, Andrea Corona-Ramirez, Mathilda Fatton, Guillaume Cailleau, Patrick S Chain, Claire E Stanley, Lukas Y Wick, Saskia Bindschedler, Diego Gonzalez, Xiang-Yi Li Richter, Pilar Junier","doi":"10.1093/femsml/uqae004","DOIUrl":"10.1093/femsml/uqae004","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Bacteriophages play a crucial role in shaping bacterial communities, yet the mechanisms by which nonmotile bacteriophages interact with their hosts remain poorly understood. This knowledge gap is especially pronounced in structured environments like soil, where spatial constraints and air-filled zones hinder aqueous diffusion. In soil, hyphae of filamentous microorganisms form a network of 'fungal highways' (FHs) that facilitate the dispersal of other microorganisms. We propose that FHs also promote bacteriophage dissemination. Viral particles can diffuse in liquid films surrounding hyphae or be transported by infectable (host) or uninfectable (nonhost) bacterial carriers coexisting on FH networks. To test this, two bacteriophages that infect <i>Pseudomonas putida</i> DSM291 (host) but not KT2440 (nonhost) were used. In the absence of carriers, bacteriophages showed limited diffusion on 3D-printed abiotic networks, but diffusion was significantly improved in <i>Pythium ultimum</i>-formed FHs when the number of connecting hyphae exceeded 20. Transport by both host and nonhost carriers enhanced bacteriophage dissemination. Host carriers were five times more effective in transporting bacteriophages, particularly in FHs with over 30 connecting hyphae. This study enhances our understanding of bacteriophage dissemination in nonsaturated environments like soils, highlighting the importance of biotic networks and bacterial hosts in facilitating this process.</p>","PeriodicalId":74189,"journal":{"name":"microLife","volume":"5 ","pages":"uqae004"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10924533/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140095307","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}