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by claude@2026-07, 2026-07-04
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The study investigated how spatial structure affects the spread of cooperative anti-CRISPR (Acr) phages in a population of CRISPR-Cas–resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa, where phage cooperation depends on sequential infections that weaken host defenses. Using experiments combined with a mathematical model, the authors found that spatial structure does not uniformly promote Acr-phage spread; instead, the impact depends on the host’s degree of CRISPR-Cas resistance and the functional efficacy of the phage-encoded Acr protein. The model attributes these “ambivalent” outcomes to spatial structure influencing both phage reproduction and phage persistence. The authors’ limitation is that the conclusions are tied to their specific experimental system and the model framework they developed for these dynamics. The paper does not explicitly discuss endometriosis or adenomyosis; it was included in the corpus via a keyword match in the upstream search index.
Abstract
Some phages have evolved the ability to cooperate to evade the immunity triggered by their bacterial host. A first exposure to the phage may weaken the host defences and allow later infections to be successful. Because this cooperation requires sequential infections, the phage can invade the host population only if its initial density is sufficiently high in a well-mixed environment. However, most natural bacterial populations are spatially structured. Could spatial structure create more favourable conditions for viral spread? Here we study the effect of spatial structure on the dynamics of cooperative anti-CRISPR (Acr) phages spreading in a population of CRISPR-Cas resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria. We show experimentally that spatial structure does not always promote the spread of Acr-phages. In particular, the effect of spatial structure is modulated by the efficacy of the bacterial host’s CRISPR-Cas resistance and by the efficacy of the phage Acr protein. These results are discussed in the light of a mathematical model we developed to describe the spread of the phage. The model allows us to understand the ambivalent effects of spatial structure via its effects on the reproduction and on the persistence of the phage. More generally, we find that spatial structure can have opposite effects on the epidemiological dynamics of the phage, depending on the properties of the Acr protein encoded by the phage. This joint experimental and theoretical work yields a deeper understanding of the spatial dynamics of cooperative strategies in phages.
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Abstract
Some phages have evolved the ability to cooperate to evade the immunity triggered by their bacterial host. A first exposure to the phage may weaken the host defences and allow later infections to be successful. Because this cooperation requires sequential infections, the phage can invade the host population only if its initial density is sufficiently high in a well-mixed environment. However, most natural bacterial populations are spatially structured. Could spatial structure create more favourable conditions for viral spread? Here we study the effect of spatial structure on the dynamics of cooperative anti-CRISPR (Acr) phages spreading in a population of CRISPR-Cas resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria. We show experimentally that spatial structure does not always promote the spread of Acr-phages. In particular, the effect of spatial structure is modulated by the efficacy of the bacterial host’s CRISPR-Cas resistance and by the efficacy of the phage Acr protein. These results are discussed in the light of a mathematical model we developed to describe the spread of the phage. The model allows us to understand the ambivalent effects of spatial structure via its effects on the reproduction and on the persistence of the phage. More generally, we find that spatial structure can have opposite effects on the epidemiological dynamics of the phage, depending on the properties of the Acr protein encoded by the phage. This joint experimental and theoretical work yields a deeper understanding of the spatial dynamics of cooperative strategies in phages.
Competing Interest Statement
The authors have declared no competing interest.
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