Environmental Factors that influence the Transition from Lysogenic to Lytic Existence in the ϕHSIC/Listonella pelagia Marine Phage–Host System

S. J. Williamson, J. H. Paul

The marine phage varphiHSIC has been previously reported to enter into a pseudolysogenic-like interaction with its host Listonella pelagia. This phage-host system displays behaviors that are characteristic of both pseudolysogeny and lysogeny including a high rate of spontaneous induction and chromosomal integration of the prophage. To determine what parameters may influence the transition from lysogenic to lytic existence in the varphiHSIC/L. pelagia phage-host system, cultures of this organism were incubated under different environmental conditions, while host cell growth and bacteriophage production were monitored. The environmental parameters tested included salinity, temperature, a rapid temperature shift, and degree of culture aeration. The highest titers of phage were produced by HSIC-1a cells grown in high-salinity nutrient artificial seawater media (67 ppt with a natural salinity equivalent of 57 ppt) or those cultured in highly aerated nutrient artificial seawater media (cultures shaken at 300 rpm). Conversely, the lowest titers of phage were produced under low salinity or rate of aeration. In general, conditions that stimulated growth resulted in greater lytic phage production, whereas slow growth favored lysogeny. These results indicate that elevated salinity and aeration influenced the switch from lysogenic to lytic existence for the phage varphiHSIC. These results may have implications for environmental controls of the lysogenic switch in natural populations of marine bacteria.