Phage-Bacteria Interplay in Health and Disease, Second Edition

Dear Colleagues,

Bacteriophages are obligatory parasites propagating in bacterial hosts in a lytic or lysogenic cycle. Phages are the most abundant biological particles in the world, responsible for: (i) dissolved and particulate organic matter circulation via host cell lysis; (ii) the regulation and biodiversity of populations by reducing the number of dominating bacteria; (iii) horizontal gene transfer (HGT) via transduction, or indirectly via the transformation of bacterial DNA released during cell lysis; and, finally, (iv) lysogenic conversion via temperate phages. Therefore, phages greatly affect microbial diversification as an integral part of each ecological niche, including the human body. The tremendous dynamics of phage–host interactions results in the continuous flow of genetic material, which drives the co-evolution of both entities.

In this Special Issue, we are looking for reports and reviews on the most current findings on phage’s role in the microbiome in health and disease. We welcome the submission of original studies, reviews, and mini-reviews covering, but not limited to, the following topics:

• How phages affect the regulation and functioning of human/mammal microbial ecosystems as the consequence of specific and non-specific virus–bacteria interactions, including the shaping of microbial communities, the behavior and virulence of bacteria, as well as advantages versus drawbacks of phage-induced alterations;
• How the mechanisms of bacterial defense against phages can drive the outcome of the disease/infection, including (i) active defense (receptor modification, CRISPR/Cas, R-M system, etc.), (ii) passive defense (OMVs release, secondary metabolites release, etc.), and (iii) the susceptibility of phage mutants/altered bacteria to host immune responses;
• Bacteriophages as human immune modulators of innate and adaptive immunity, as well as human viral pathogens.

Dr. Grażyna Majkowska-Skrobek
Dr. Daria Augustyniak
Guest Editors

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