Phage SEP1 hijacks Staphylococcus epidermidis stationary cells’ metabolism to replicate

Abstract

Most phage-host interaction studies are performed with exponentially growing cells. However, this cell state is not representative of what happens in natural environments. Additionally, most phages fail to replicate in stationary cells. The Staphylococcus epidermidis phage SEP1 is one of the few phages reported to date to be able to infect stationary cells. Here, we unveiled the interaction of SEP1 with its host in both exponential and stationary states of growth at the transcriptomic level. The findings of this study provide valuable insights for a better implementation of phage therapy since phages able to infect stationary cells could be more efficient in the treatment of recalcitrant infections.