Work

Reversible phenotypic resistance to phage infection via capsule downregulation in Klebsiella pneumoniae

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: , a medically relevant encapsulated bacterium. Phage infection rapidly selected for resistant acapsular cells. As expected, transcriptomic analysis revealed a marked downregulation of capsule biosynthesis genes. However, full genome sequencing showed that capsule loss occurred without evidence of mutations, and acapsular phage-resistant cells were able to rapidly restore their capsule once phage pressure was removed. These findings highlight that phage-driven selective pressure can act on non-heritable variation in gene expression, providing a faster and more flexible resistance mechanism compared to the traditional mutation-selection process. This reversible resistance may complicate predictability and limit the long-term efficacy of phage therapy.

Source: iScience

DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2025.114107

Authors: Lucas Mora-Quilis, Rafael Sanjuán, Pilar Domingo-Calap

Institutions: Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universitat de València, Institute for Integrative Systems Biology

Language: English

Topic: Bacteriophages and microbial interactions

Subfield: Ecology

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,240