High cell densities favor lysogeny: induction of an H20 prophage is repressed by quorum sensing and enhances biofilm formation in Vibrio anguillarum

ISME J. 2020 Jul;14(7):1731-1742. doi: 10.1038/s41396-020-0641-3. Epub 2020 Apr 9.

Abstract

Temperate ϕH20-like phages are repeatedly identified at geographically distinct areas as free phage particles or as prophages of the fish pathogen Vibrio anguillarum. We studied mutants of a lysogenic isolate of V. anguillarum locked in the quorum-sensing regulatory modes of low (ΔvanT) and high (ΔvanO) cell densities by in-frame deletion of key regulators of the quorum-sensing pathway. Remarkably, we find that induction of the H20-like prophage is controlled by the quorum-sensing state of the host, with an eightfold increase in phage particles per cell in high-cell-density cultures of the quorum-sensing-deficient ΔvanT mutant. Comparative studies with prophage-free strains show that biofilm formation is promoted at low cell density and that the H20-like prophage stimulates this behavior. In contrast, the high-cell-density state is associated with reduced prophage induction, increased proteolytic activity, and repression of biofilm. The proteolytic activity may dually function to disperse the biofilm and as a quorum-sensing-mediated antiphage strategy. We demonstrate an intertwined regulation of phage-host interactions and biofilm formation, which is orchestrated by host quorum-sensing signaling, suggesting that increased lysogeny at high cell density is not solely a strategy for phages to piggy-back the successful bacterial hosts but is also a host strategy evolved to take control of the lysis-lysogeny switch to promote host fitness.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Biofilms
  • Cell Count
  • Lysogeny*
  • Prophages* / genetics
  • Quorum Sensing
  • Vibrio

Supplementary concepts

  • Vibrio anguillarum