Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Research Highlight
  • Published:

Metagenomics

With a little help from my phage friends

Nature Reviews Genetics volume 14, page 517 (2013)Cite this article

Subjects

In the complex ecosystem of the gut, gene exchange is likely to be widespread. Because phages can contribute beneficial genes to their bacterial hosts, the authors reasoned that these viruses might have an important role in the adaptation of the microbiota to stressful conditions. To test this, mice were treated with ciprofloxacin (a quinolone that inhibits DNA synthesis) or ampicillin (a β-lactam that inhibits cell wall synthesis) for 8 weeks, and phage DNA was subsequently purified from faecal samples and sequenced.

the resident phage population provides the microbiota with a reservoir of advantageous genes

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on SpringerLink
  • Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

References

  1. Modi, S. R. et al. Antibiotic treatment expands the resistance reservoir and ecological network of the phage metagenome. Nature http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nature12212 (2013)

  2. Sommer, F. & Bäckhed, F. The gut microbiota — masters of host development and physiology. Nature Rev. Microbiol. 11, 227–238 (2013)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Associate Editor, Nature Reviews Microbiology,

    Christina Tobin Kåhrström

Authors
  1. Christina Tobin Kåhrström
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kåhrström, C. With a little help from my phage friends. Nat Rev Genet 14, 517 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrg3532

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrg3532

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing: Translational Research

Sign up for the Nature Briefing: Translational Research newsletter — top stories in biotechnology, drug discovery and pharma.

Get what matters in translational research, free to your inbox weekly. Sign up for Nature Briefing: Translational Research