Distinct effects of mucin on phage-host interactions in model systems of beneficial and pathogenic bacteria

Distinct effects of mucin on phage-host interactions in model systems of beneficial and pathogenic bacteria | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Distinct effects of mucin on phage-host interactions in model systems of beneficial and pathogenic bacteria Jaka Jakin Lazar, Katarina Šimunović, Iztok Dogša, Ines Mandić Mulec, and 2 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-5773698/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 20 May, 2025 Read the published version in Archives of Virology → Version 1 posted 5 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Phage-host interactions that occur in host-associated microbiomes are influenced by a plethora of environmental factors. Mucins are glycoproteins representing the largest proportion of mucus, found in the animal digestive tract and on the surface of certain organs, serving as the first line of defense against toxins and pathogens. Previous studies have shown that lytic phages have an important influence on the microbial composition in mucosal areas. Our study expands this knowledge to interactions between previously untested lytic phages targeting probiotic and pathogenic bacteria, as well as temperate phages targeting probiotic bacteria. These interactions could be important in shaping the microbial communities and host well-being. This study demonstrates that mucins enhance the adherence of Vibrio anguillarum lytic phages and Bacillus subtilis lytic and temperate phages, as well as B. subtilis and V. anguillarum cells to solid surfaces. Our results also show that mucins positively affect the attachment of B. subtilis cells even in the presence of phages. At the same time, this positive effect was not observed in the case of V. anguillarum. This suggests that mucin may shield certain bacteria from phage infections. Our findings also demonstrate that mucin differently influences metabolic activity of the two tested bacterial species, with strong positive effects on V. anguillarum. but not on B. subtilis. The work supports previous findings that phages efficiently adhere to mucus (Barr et al., 2013), extending them to include new beneficial and pathogenic bacterial species. It also reveals that mucins have different effects on phage-host interactions in different phage-host systems, which may have implications for phage therapies or probiotic treatment strategies. Mucin Phages Bacillus subtilis Phage-host Interactions Full Text Supplementary Files Supplemental1.docx Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 20 May, 2025 Read the published version in Archives of Virology → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Minor Revision 13 Feb, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 12 Jan, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 09 Jan, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 08 Jan, 2025 First submitted to journal 06 Jan, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-5773698","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":399995147,"identity":"f2b915fe-52d0-4676-b7c8-17fa5550464d","order_by":0,"name":"Jaka Jakin Lazar","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Ljubljana Biotechnical faculty: Univerza v Ljubljani Biotehniska fakulteta","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Jaka","middleName":"Jakin","lastName":"Lazar","suffix":""},{"id":399995148,"identity":"aa6f3a70-919f-4773-8cb8-e9e8035651e0","order_by":1,"name":"Katarina 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