Plasmid carriage can limit bacteria-phage coevolution

TY - JOUR

T1 - Plasmid carriage can limit bacteria-phage coevolution

AU - Harrison, Ellie

AU - Truman, Julie

AU - Wright, Rosanna

AU - Spiers, Andrew J.

AU - Paterson, Steve

AU - Brockhurst, Michael A.

PY - 2015/8/12

Y1 - 2015/8/12

N2 - Coevolution with bacteriophages is a major selective force shaping bacterial populations and communities. A variety of both environmental and genetic factors has been shown to influence the mode and tempo of bacteria-phage coevolution. Here, we test the effects that carriage of a large conjugative plasmid, pQBR103, had on antagonistic coevolution between the bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens and its phage, SBW25φ2. Plasmid carriage limited bacteria-phage coevolution; bacteria evolved lower phage-resistance and phages evolved lower infectivity in plasmid-carrying compared with plasmid-free populations. These differences were not explained by effects of plasmid carriage on the costs of phage resistance mutations. Surprisingly, in the presence of phages, plasmid carriage resulted in the evolution of high frequencies of mucoid bacterial colonies. Mucoidy can provide weak partial resistance against SBW25φ2, which may have limited selection for qualitative resistance mutations in our experiments. Taken together, our results suggest that plasmids can have evolutionary consequences for bacteria that go beyond the direct phenotypic effects of their accessory gene cargo.

AB - Coevolution with bacteriophages is a major selective force shaping bacterial populations and communities. A variety of both environmental and genetic factors has been shown to influence the mode and tempo of bacteria-phage coevolution. Here, we test the effects that carriage of a large conjugative plasmid, pQBR103, had on antagonistic coevolution between the bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens and its phage, SBW25φ2. Plasmid carriage limited bacteria-phage coevolution; bacteria evolved lower phage-resistance and phages evolved lower infectivity in plasmid-carrying compared with plasmid-free populations. These differences were not explained by effects of plasmid carriage on the costs of phage resistance mutations. Surprisingly, in the presence of phages, plasmid carriage resulted in the evolution of high frequencies of mucoid bacterial colonies. Mucoidy can provide weak partial resistance against SBW25φ2, which may have limited selection for qualitative resistance mutations in our experiments. Taken together, our results suggest that plasmids can have evolutionary consequences for bacteria that go beyond the direct phenotypic effects of their accessory gene cargo.

KW - Bacteria-phage coevolution

KW - Conjugative plasmid

KW - Mucoid conversion

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84939643890&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1098/rsbl.2015.0361

DO - 10.1098/rsbl.2015.0361

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84939643890

SN - 1744-9561

VL - 11

SP - 1

EP - 4

JO - Biology letters

JF - Biology letters

IS - 8

M1 - 20150361

ER -