MSc Kati Mäkelä will present her doctoral research.
TITLE: Adaptability of the interactions between Finnlakevirus FLiP and its Flavobacterium hosts to fluctuating environmental conditions - Ecology of phage-host interactions
ABSTRACT: Historically, phage research has focused on a few phage types and clinically relevant species. Recent research trends are broadening our understanding of phage diversity and their ecological roles, but the biology and ecological impact of icosahedral, lipid-containing ssDNA phages, such as Finnlakevirus FLiP, have remained poorly understood. FLiP infects flavobacteria, key players in organic matter degradation in boreal waters. In my PhD, I aimed to study FLiP-host interactions under natural-like conditions, including variations in temperature, nutrients, oxygen, environmental structure, and harmful substances. Our results show that FLiP's interactions depend on environmental factors, host strain, and its growth phase, with significant differences observed between two FLiP strains. Interestingly, FLiP infects stationary-phase cells more efficiently than exponentially growing cells and requires the host to be surface-attached. Furthermore, FLiP forms dsDNA plasmids inside host cells, which may explain host resistance and delayed infection in stress conditions. FLiP plaques appearing far from the infection site suggest its presence in motile or filamented hosts. Our findings highlight the balancing potential of adaptable phage-host dynamics in natural ecosystems.
Welcome!
