Temperate bacteriophages shape intraspecies competition during Pseudomonas aeruginosa Infection.

Temperate bacteriophages confer a competitive advantage to Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains during infection, promoting clonal dominance through intraspecies interactions.

• Why it matters: Understanding how Pseudomonas aeruginosa maintains clonal dominance within hosts is crucial for comprehending infection dynamics and microbial evolution, yet the mechanisms remain unclear.
• What they did: The study screened clinical isolates for phage-mediated antagonism, identified strain-specific infective phages, and used genomic and infection models to demonstrate that prophage acquisition enhances competitive fitness.
• The result: Acquisition of specific temperate phages via poly-lysogeny provides P. aeruginosa with a competitive edge both in vitro and in vivo, elucidating a mechanistic basis for clonal dominance during infection.