Tracking tripartite interaction dynamics: isolation, integration, and influence of bacteriophages in the

Introduction: Bacteriophages influence interactions between bacterial symbionts and their hosts by exerting parasitic pressure on symbiont populations and facilitating bacterial evolution through selection, gene exchange, and prophage integration. Host organisms also modulate phage-bacteria interactions, with host-specific contexts potentially limiting or promoting phage access to bacterial symbionts or driving alternative phenotypic or evolutionary outcomes. Methods: To better elucidate tripartite phage-bacteria-host interactions in real-time, we expanded the Results: The isolated phages exhibited diverse plaquing characteristics and virion morphologies, collectively targeting Discussion: These findings highlight the variability of phage-symbiont interactions within a host environment and underscore the complex nature of phage treatment outcomes. The observed variability lays the foundation for future studies exploring the long-term dynamics of tripartite systems, suggesting potential mechanisms that may shape differential phage treatment outcomes and presenting valuable avenues for future investigation.