Phage-mediated horizontal gene transfer and its implications for the human gut microbiome

Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) in the microbiome has profound consequences for human health and disease. The spread of antibiotic resistance genes, virulence, and pathogenicity determinants predominantly occurs by way of HGT. Evidence exists of extensive horizontal transfer in the human gut microbiome. Phage transduction is a type of HGT event in which a bacteriophage transfers non-viral DNA from one bacterial host cell to another. The abundance of tailed bacteriophages in the human gut suggests that transduction could act as a significant mode of HGT in the gut microbiome. Here we review in detail the known mechanisms of phage-mediated HGT, namely specialized and generalized transduction, lateral transduction, gene-transfer agents, and molecular piracy, as well as methods used to detect phage-mediated HGT, and discuss its potential implications for the human gut microbiome.

Automated summary

Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) plays a significant role in human health and disease, particularly in the spread of antibiotic resistance genes and pathogenic factors. The abundance of bacteriophages in the human gut suggests that phage transduction could be an important mode of HGT in the gut microbiome. This review provides an in-depth understanding of phage-mediated HGT mechanisms, detection methods, and potential implications for the human gut microbiome.