Amazing stuff!
"... scientists studied chemical communication by phages (viruses that infect bacteria).
The phages assessed in this study have two choices when they enter a cell: lie dormant or kill the cell and release new virus particles to infect other cells nearby.
It was recently discovered that some phages use chemical communication systems to optimise this decision.
The new study reveals these signals do not pass solely between phages of the same species. Instead, other species – some of them barely related to the signaller – can eavesdrop. ...
The signal chemicals are called peptides, and are produced by the phage during infection. High peptide concentrations signal a lack of susceptible hosts, while low concentrations signal an abundance of uninfected hosts.
The existence of these signalling systems (called “arbitrium” systems) suggests they provide an evolutionary benefit – at least for in-species communication.
But the new study shows “cross-talk” between species does not help the “listener”. ..."
From the highlights and abstract:
"Highlights
• Phages are exposed to non-cognate arbitrium signals from other phages
• Some non-cognate signals mediate crosstalk between phages
• Crosstalk shifts lysis-lysogeny decisions toward early lysogeny
• Crosstalking signals can benefit emitting phages but impose costs on responders
Summary
Many viruses can switch between lytic replication and dormancy (or lysogeny). It was recently discovered that some viruses that infect bacteria (known as bacteriophage or phage) employ peptide-based (“arbitrium”) communication systems to optimize their lysis/lysogeny switch; high peptide concentrations signal a lack of susceptible hosts and trigger lysogeny, while low peptide concentrations signal an abundance of uninfected hosts and prompt lysis.
Here, we demonstrate that arbitrium phages belonging to different species and genera can influence each other’s infection dynamics by secreting similar communication peptides, leading to early lysogenization of the signal-receiving phage and elevated fitness of the signal-emitting phage. Antagonistic coevolution between signal-emitting and signal-receiving phages to manipulate each other’s infection behaviors may explain the rapid diversification of arbitrium systems and their frequent horizontal exchange to escape the noise of crosstalk."
Viruses ‘eavesdrop’ on each other – but it can backfire (original news release)
Graphical abstract
Figure 1 Arbitrium phages encounter each other in nature
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