Engineering broad-spectrum phage-resistant Escherichia coli via adaptive and programmable defense strategies

Abstract

Phage contamination, which impacts product quality and production efficiency, remains a major challenge in industrial fermentation. Although bacteria have evolved various defense systems to combat phage infection, these systems often suffer from narrow host specificity and limited efficacy. In this study, we isolated and characterized a novel lytic Escherichia coli phage, TR2, from a contaminated fermentation substrate. Its strong environmental stability, short latency period, and high lytic activity render it a significant threat to fermentation processes. Genomic sequencing revealed that phage TR2 has a linear, double-stranded DNA genome of 45,171 bp with a G+C content of 44% and 74 coding sequences. On the basis of the physiological characteristics and genomic features of this phage, we developed two strategies to generate phage-resistant E. coli strains: (i) selection of spontaneous mutations in bacterial surface receptors to prevent phage adsorption and infection and (ii) integration of an exogenous CRISPR/Cas9 system to confer sequence-specific immunity. Spontaneous mutation provides broad-spectrum resistance but at the cost of fitness and evolutionary stability, whereas CRISPR/Cas9 ensures long-term, programmable immunity with minimal growth defects. Importantly, both strategies successfully protected bacterial cultures from phage infection without compromising recombinant protein production, highlighting their potential for industrial application. Our findings provide a practical approach for mitigating phage contamination in industrial fermentation processes. This study also highlights the advantages and limitations of spontaneous mutations and natural phage defense systems, offering valuable insights for the design of more effective phage-resistant microbial platforms.