Recent advances in viral metagenomics have enabled the rapid discovery of an
unprecedented catalogue of phages in numerous environments, from the human gut to the …

Highlights•Phages drive horizontal gene transfer between prokaryotes.•Lysogenic
conversion provides novel adaptive traits, at the cost of eventual lysis.•Prophages account …

Phages and plasmids are regarded as distinct types of mobile genetic elements that drive
bacterial evolution by horizontal gene transfer. However, the distinction between both types …

Bacteriophages are the most abundant members of the microbiota and have the potential to
shape gut bacterial communities. Changes to bacteriophage composition are associated …

Staphylococcus aureus is a serious human pathogen with remarkable adaptive powers.
Antibiotic-resistant clones rapidly emerge mainly by acquisition of antibiotic-resistance …

Microbial communities are shaped by viral predators. Yet, resolving which viruses (phages)
and bacteria are interacting is a major challenge in the context of natural levels of microbial …

Integrated phages (prophages) are major contributors to the diversity of bacterial gene
repertoires. Domestication of their components is thought to have endowed bacteria with …

Faced with the crisis of multidrug-resistant bacteria, bacteriophages, viruses that infect and
replicate within bacteria, have been reported to have both beneficial and detrimental effects …

Viruses that infect bacteria (phages) can influence bacterial community dynamics, bacterial
genome evolution and ecosystem biogeochemistry. These influences differ depending on …

Infection by a temperate phage can lead to death of the bacterial cell, but sometimes these
phages integrate into the bacterial chromosome, offering the potential for a more long …