Host Range Expansion of <i>Pseudomonas</i> Virus LUZ7 Is Driven by a Conserved Tail Fiber Mutation

Abstract

Background: When subjected to phage infection, bacteria can rapidly become resistant by changes in the phage receptors at the bacterial surface. Phages thus require adaptive mechanisms to circumvent this type of resistance. Methods: LUZ7 phage with an altered host range were isolated and analysed for mutations and their effect. Results: We find that Pseudomonas virus LUZ7 has an unusually high number of mutants (0.01–0.1% of the population) that drive host range expansion. Interestingly, all tested mutants have a single D737Y mutation in the tail fiber. This mutation allows the phage to adsorb to P. aeruginosa strains that are not natively recognized by the wild-type phage. Conclusion: The high number and specificity of mutants suggests the presence of an uncharacterized mechanism that drives these mutations. This mechanism enables the phage to better evade host resistance at the surface level and expand its host range in general, a feature that could be valuable in phage therapeutic settings or for phage engineering.