Bacteriophages benefit from generalized transduction
Fig 2
Simulations of three different experimental setups involving infection by one single type of phage show an advantage of transducing temperate phages in changing environments.
A) Phages infect bacteria carrying an antibiotic resistance gene (bacteria in red), and a sample of these phage particles infects bacteria initially susceptible to antibiotics (in green). Antibiotics are applied after the initial 7 iterations. 4 different scenarios are explored, using different types of phages: temperate and transducing phages in orange; temperate, and non-transducing phages in purple; virulent and transducing phages in blue; and virulent and non-transducing phages in pink. B) The number of bacteria (antibiotic resistant bacteria in red, and–initially–antibiotic sensitive bacteria in green) and the different types of phage particles are followed over time for the 4 different scenarios (each scenario corresponds to a column). The two different phases of the experiment (infection of antibiotic resistant bacteria and subsequently infection of antibiotic sensitive bacteria) are indicated in the x-axis. Lines correspond to the median of 100 different simulations with similar parameters, and the shaded areas correspond to a confidence interval of 95%. The model used in the simulations, as well as the values assumed for the parameters, are detailed in S1 Text.