Bacterial resistance to temperate phage is influenced by the frequency of lysogenic establishment.

Temperate phages can shape bacterial community dynamics and evolution through lytic and lysogenic life cycles. In response, bacteria that resist phage infection can emerge. This study explores phage-based factors that influence bacterial resistance using a model system of temperate P22 phage and both inside and outside the mammalian host. Phages that remained functional despite gene deletions had minimal impact on lysogeny and phage resistance except for deletions in the region that substantially reduced lysogeny and increased phage resistance to levels comparable to that observed with an obligately lytic P22. This deletion does not make the lysogen less competitive but instead increases the frequency of bacterial lysis. Thus, subtle changes in the balance between lysis and lysogeny during the initial stages of infection can significantly influence the extent of phage resistance in the bacterial population. Our work highlights the complex nature of the phage-bacteria-mammalian host triad.