Proteomic response to PhiX174 infection

Elucidating host-bacteriophage dynamics is an important approach to elucidating bacterial survival functions and responses to infection. The model bacteriophage φX174 endemically found amongst the human intestinal microbiota and has a long history of use in bacteriophage based research, however the common laboratory host’s response to infection lacks detailed investigation. In this study we have measured host Escherichia coli C122 proteomic and transcriptomic response to φX174 infection to fill this knowledge gap. We identify differentially expressed genes and proteins during phage induced lysis. We also use mass spectrometry to identify and quantify all φX174 proteins and over 1700 E. coli proteins enabling us to comprehensively map host pathways involved in φX174 infection. Most notably, in our dual omics investigation we observe significant host responses pertaining to membrane remodeling, cellular chaperone activity, and lipoprotein processing. We also highlight host small heat-shock proteins IbpA and IbpB as having fold-change inductions comparable to that of the phage proteins. Together, this study provides foundational and the first proteomic and transcriptomic data characterizing host response to Microviridae infection.