Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, United States.
Center for Translational Medicine, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, United States.
Front Immunol. 2020 Feb 21;11:244. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.00244. eCollection 2020.
Pf bacteriophage are temperate phages that infect the bacterium , a major cause of chronic lung infections in cystic fibrosis (CF) and other settings. Pf and other temperate phages have evolved complex, mutualistic relationships with their bacterial hosts that impact both bacterial phenotypes and chronic infection. We and others have reported that Pf phages are a virulence factor that promote the pathogenesis of infections in animal models and are associated with worse skin and lung infections in humans. Here we review the biology of Pf phage and what is known about its contributions to pathogenesis and clinical disease. First, we review the structure, genetics, and epidemiology of Pf phage. Next, we address the diverse and surprising ways that Pf phages contribute to phenotypes including effects on biofilm formation, antibiotic resistance, and motility. Then, we cover data indicating that Pf phages suppress mammalian immunity at sites of bacterial infection. Finally, we discuss recent literature implicating Pf in chronic infections in CF and other settings. Together, these reports suggest that Pf bacteriophage have direct effects on infections and that temperate phages are an exciting frontier in microbiology, immunology, and human health.
Pf 噬菌体是温和噬菌体，可感染，是囊性纤维化（CF）和其他环境中慢性肺部感染的主要原因。Pf 和其他温和噬菌体与它们的细菌宿主进化出了复杂的互利关系，这影响了细菌的表型和慢性感染。我们和其他人报告说，Pf 噬菌体是一种毒力因子，可促进动物模型中感染的发病机制，并与人类皮肤和肺部感染加重有关。在这里，我们回顾了 Pf 噬菌体的生物学特性及其对发病机制和临床疾病的贡献。首先，我们回顾了 Pf 噬菌体的结构、遗传学和流行病学。接下来，我们探讨了 Pf 噬菌体对表型的多种令人惊讶的影响，包括对生物膜形成、抗生素耐药性和运动性的影响。然后，我们介绍了表明 Pf 噬菌体在细菌感染部位抑制哺乳动物免疫的相关数据。最后，我们讨论了最近的文献，这些文献表明 Pf 在 CF 和其他环境中的慢性感染中起作用。这些报告表明，Pf 噬菌体对感染有直接影响，温和噬菌体是微生物学、免疫学和人类健康领域令人兴奋的前沿领域。
