Not just passengers: Phages as agents of genetic exchange in fecal microbiota transplantation

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dc.contributor.authorGonzalez Pastor, Belén
dc.contributor.authorShkoporov, Andrey
dc.contributor.authorHill, Colin
dc.date.accessioned2026-05-22T14:50:09Z
dc.date.available2026-05-22T14:50:09Z
dc.date.issued2026-05-13
dc.description.abstractFecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is an effective therapy for recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection and is increasingly being explored for other microbiota-associated diseases. However, general research has largely focused on bacterial engraftment, overlooking the contribution of the gut virome. In this perspective, we highlight phage-mediated horizontal gene transfer (HGT) as a potentially influential process occurring following FMT. Donor-derived phages may potentially influence community structure, engraft in resident bacteria, and modulate microbial functions or host physiology. In addition, temperate phages are well-equipped to mobilize bacterial genes, such as metabolic functions, stress-response traits, and antibiotic resistance determinants, raising the possibility that gene flow could well contribute to FMT outcomes. We propose a conceptual model in which phages act as bidirectional mediators of adaptation, not only accompanying bacterial communities but also influencing gut ecosystems in subtle, yet potentially consequential, ways.en
dc.description.versionPublished Version
dc.format.extent10
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen
dc.identifier.authororcidGonzalez Pastor, Belén
dc.identifier.authororcidShkoporov, Andrey
dc.identifier.authororcidHill, Colin§0000-0002-8527-1445
dc.identifier.citationGonzalez Pastor, B, Shkoporov, A & Hill, C 2026, 'Not just passengers: Phages as agents of genetic exchange in fecal microbiota transplantation', Cell Host and Microbe, vol. 34, no. 5, pp. 780-789. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chom.2026.03.017
dc.identifier.doi10.1016/j.chom.2026.03.017
dc.identifier.endpage789
dc.identifier.issn1931-3128
dc.identifier.issued5
dc.identifier.journaltitleCell Host and Microbe
dc.identifier.otherRIS: urn:1FEB050D434D105966640B6F1A34CB72
dc.identifier.otherORCID: /0000-0002-8527-1445/work/215518669
dc.identifier.startpage780
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10468/18846
dc.identifier.volume34
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherCell Press
dc.relation.urihttps://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105038431338
dc.relation.urihttps://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105038431338?origin=resultslist
dc.rightsPublisher Copyright: © 2026 The Authors.
dc.rights.accessrightsopen access
dc.rights.licensenameAttribution 4.0 International
dc.rights.urihttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.statusPeer reviewed
dc.subjectBacteriophage
dc.subjectFMT
dc.subjectHGT
dc.subjectMicrobiome
dc.subjectVirome
dc.subject[Microbiology]
dc.subjectvirome
dc.subjectmicrobiome
dc.titleNot just passengers: Phages as agents of genetic exchange in fecal microbiota transplantationen
dc.typeArticle (peer-reviewed)
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