Coevolution between bacteria and bacteriophages can be characterized as an infinitive constant evolutionary battle (phage-host arm race), which starts during phage adsorption and penetration into host cell, continues during phage replication inside the cells, and remains preserved also during prophage lysogeny. Bacteriophage may exist inside the bacterial cells in four forms with different evolutionary strategies: as a replicating virus during the lytic cycle, in an unstable carrier state termed pseudolysogeny, as a prophage with complete genome during the lysogeny, or as a defective cryptic prophage. Some defensive mechanisms of bacteria and virus countermeasures are characterized, and some evolutionary questions concerning phage-host relationship are discussed.

Faculty of Natural Sciences Department of Microbiology and Virology Comenius University Mlynská dolina B2 842 15 Bratislava Slovakia

See more in PubMed

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1986 Dec;83(23):8934-8 PubMed

New Biol. 1991 Mar;3(3):230-6 PubMed

Theor Popul Biol. 2002 Jun;61(4):471-80 PubMed

Microbiol Rev. 1978 Sep;42(3):577-91 PubMed

Science. 2011 Apr 1;332(6025):106-9 PubMed

PLoS Genet. 2011 Jun;7(6):e1002149 PubMed

Nat Rev Microbiol. 2010 May;8(5):317-27 PubMed

Nature. 1980 Apr 17;284(5757):601-3 PubMed

Microbiol Rev. 1978 Jun;42(2):385-413 PubMed

J Bacteriol. 2009 Nov;191(22):6788-95 PubMed

J Bacteriol. 1998 Jul;180(13):3474-6 PubMed

Evolution. 2010 Oct;64(10):2980-7 PubMed

Annu Rev Microbiol. 2010;64:475-93 PubMed

Int J Biol Sci. 2008 Sep 23;4(6):338-44 PubMed

J Mol Biol. 1967 Jan 28;23(2):117-33 PubMed

PLoS Biol. 2005 Jul;3(7):e255 PubMed

Res Microbiol. 2009 Nov;160(9):677-83 PubMed

Microbiol Mol Biol Rev. 2003 Jun;67(2):238-76, table of contents PubMed

J Biol Chem. 1981 Aug 10;256(15):8039-44 PubMed

J Mol Microbiol Biotechnol. 2001 Jul;3(3):361-70 PubMed

Annu Rev Genet. 1986;20:385-429 PubMed

Am Nat. 2011 Jan;177(1):44-53 PubMed

J Bacteriol. 2004 May;186(10):3278-81 PubMed

Nat Genet. 2002 Dec;32(4):569-77 PubMed

Microbiol Rev. 1983 Sep;47(3):345-60 PubMed

Bioessays. 2011 Jan;33(1):43-51 PubMed

J Gen Virol. 1977 Feb;34(2):207-21 PubMed

Mol Cell. 2005 Jan 21;17(2):291-300 PubMed

Naturwissenschaften. 1985 May;72(5):231-6 PubMed

J Bacteriol. 2004 Nov;186(22):7659-69 PubMed

Nature. 1980 Apr 17;284(5757):604-7 PubMed

Proc Biol Sci. 2010 Jul 22;277(1691):2097-103 PubMed

Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 2011 Aug;91(4):857-71 PubMed

Naturwissenschaften. 2004 Jun;91(6):255-76 PubMed

J Mol Biol. 2005 Oct 14;353(1):186-95 PubMed

Res Microbiol. 1998 Oct;149(9):611-24 PubMed

Science. 2010 Jan 8;327(5962):167-70 PubMed

Mol Gen Genet. 1978 Apr 25;161(1):1-8 PubMed

Microbiol Mol Biol Rev. 2004 Sep;68(3):560-602, table of contents PubMed

Nature. 2007 Dec 13;450(7172):1079-81 PubMed

Am Zool. 1964 Nov;4:443-52 PubMed

Nature. 2010 Mar 11;464(7286):275-8 PubMed

Future Microbiol. 2011 Aug;6(8):909-24 PubMed

J Bacteriol. 2004 Jan;186(1):1-7 PubMed

Virology. 1956 Aug;2(4):565-74 PubMed

J Mol Biol. 1988 Aug 5;202(3):565-73 PubMed

Basic Life Sci. 1975;5A:355-67 PubMed

J Clin Microbiol. 2001 Nov;39(11):4086-92 PubMed

Annu Rev Genet. 1991;25:585-627 PubMed

J Bacteriol. 2007 Jan;189(2):298-304 PubMed

PLoS Pathog. 2009 May;5(5):e1000408 PubMed

Plasmid. 2011 Mar;65(2):102-9 PubMed

J Bacteriol. 1994 Feb;176(4):941-7 PubMed

Nature. 2010 Jan 28;463(7280):568-71 PubMed

Curr Opin Microbiol. 2005 Aug;8(4):473-9 PubMed

J Bacteriol. 1993 Aug;175(16):5286-8 PubMed

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1999 Oct 12;96(21):11904-9 PubMed

Nat Commun. 2010;1:147 PubMed

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1997 Mar 18;94(6):2091-4 PubMed

J Virol. 1973 May;11(5):775-82 PubMed

Pol J Microbiol. 2010;59(3):145-55 PubMed

Adv Virus Res. 2012;82:155-78 PubMed

Mol Gen Genet. 1983;189(2):199-206 PubMed

Mol Microbiol. 1993 Dec;10(5):1139-50 PubMed

J Bacteriol. 2007 Sep;189(17):6333-8 PubMed

J Bacteriol. 2010 Dec;192(23):6291-4 PubMed

Curr Opin Microbiol. 2003 Feb;6(1):35-42 PubMed

Gene. 1979 Nov;7(3-4):217-70 PubMed