Reduced Infection Efficiency of Phage NCTC 12673 on Non-Motile <i>Campylobacter jejuni</i> Strains Is Related to Oxidative Stress

oleh: Jessica C. Sacher, Muhammad Afzal Javed, Clay S. Crippen, James Butcher, Annika Flint, Alain Stintzi, Christine M. Szymanski

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2021-09-01

Deskripsi

<i>Campylobacter jejuni</i> is a Gram-negative foodborne pathogen that causes diarrheal disease and is associated with severe post-infectious sequelae. Bacteriophages (phages) are a possible means of reducing <i>Campylobacter</i> colonization in poultry to prevent downstream human infections. However, the factors influencing phage-host interactions must be better understood before this strategy can be predictably employed. Most studies have focused on <i>Campylobacter</i> phage binding to the host surface, with all phages classified as either capsule- or flagella-specific. Here we describe the characterization of a <i>C. jejuni</i> phage that requires functional flagellar glycosylation and motor genes for infection, without needing the flagella for adsorption to the cell surface. Through phage infectivity studies of targeted <i>C. jejuni</i> mutants, transcriptomic analysis of phage-resistant mutants, and genotypic and phenotypic analysis of a spontaneous phage variant capable of simultaneously overcoming flagellar gene dependence and sensitivity to oxidative stress, we have uncovered a link between oxidative stress, flagellar motility, and phage infectivity. Taken together, our results underscore the importance of understanding phage-host interactions beyond the cell surface and point to host oxidative stress state as an important and underappreciated consideration for future phage-host interaction studies.