Experimental examination of bacteriophage latent-period evolution as a response to bacterial availability.

ABSTRACT: For obligately lytic bacteriophage (phage) a trade-off exists between fecundity (burst size) and latent period (a component of generation time). This trade-off occurs because release of phage progeny from infected bacteria coincides with destruction of the machinery necessary to produce more phage progeny. Here we employ phage mutants to explore issues of phage latent-period evolution as a function of the density of phage-susceptible bacteria. Theory suggests that higher bacterial densities should select for shorter phage latent periods. Consistently, we have found that higher host densities (>/== approximately 10(7) bacteria/ml) can enrich stocks of phage RB69 for variants that display shorter latent periods than the wild type. One such variant, dubbed sta5, displays a latent period that

SUBMITTER: Abedon ST 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC310036 | biostudies-literature | 2003 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature