Bayliss, Christopher D, Clark, Jack and Van Der Woude, Marjan orcid.org/0000-0002-0446-8829 (2025) 100+ Years of Phase Variation – the Premier Bacterial Bet-Hedging Phenomenon. Microbiology (Reading, England). 001537. ISSN 1465-2080
Abstract
Stochastic, reversible, switches in expression of Salmonella flagella variants were first described by Andrewes in 1922. Termed phase variation (PV), subsequent research found that this phenomenon was widespread among bacterial species and controlled expression of major determinants of bacterial:host interactions. Under-lying mechanisms were not discovered until the 1970s/1980s but were found to encompass intrinsic aspects of DNA processes (i.e. DNA slippage and recombination) and DNA modifications (i.e. DNA methylation). Despite this long history, discoveries are on-going with expansions of the phase-variable repertoire into new organisms and novel insights into the functions of known loci and switching mechanisms. Some of these discoveries are somewhat controversial as the term ‘phase variation’ is being applied without addressing key aspects of the phenomenon such as whether mutations or epigenetic changes are reversible and generated prior to selection. Another ‘missing’ aspect of PV research is the impact of these adaptive switches in real-world situations. This review provides a perspective on the historical timeline of the discovery of PV, the current state-of-the-art, controversial aspects of classifying phase-variable loci and possible ‘missing’ real-world effects of this phenomenon.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2025 The Authors |
Keywords: | phase variation, microbiology, bacteria |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of York |
Academic Units: | The University of York > Faculty of Sciences (York) > Hull York Medical School (York) |
Funding Information: | Funder Grant number WELLCOME TRUST 094333/Z/10/Z |
Depositing User: | Pure (York) |
Date Deposited: | 07 Feb 2025 16:20 |
Last Modified: | 05 Mar 2025 11:40 |
Published Version: | https://doi.org/10.1099/mic.0.001537 |
Status: | Published |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1099/mic.0.001537 |
Related URLs: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:223055 |