Experiment on phage-bacteria infection networks at ambient (15 PSU) and two stressful salinities (11 & 7 PSU) with Vibrio alginolyticus

However, their net-effect on bacterial fitness remains unknown. To understand the ecology and evolution between filamentous phages and their hosts, it is important to understand (1) fitness effects of a filamentous phages on their hosts, and (2) how these effects depend on the environment.

To determine how the net-effect on bacterial fitness by filamentous phages changes across environments, we constructed phage-bacteria infection networks at ambient (15 PSU) and two stressful salinities (11 & 7 PSU) using the marine bacterium, Vibrio alginolyticus and its derived filamentous phages as model system. We observed no significant difference in network structure at 15 PSU and 11 PSU. However, at 7 PSU phages significantly reduced bacterial growth changing network structure.