Along for the ride: prophage-induced flagellar remodelling.

A prophage uses TldRs to remodel host flagella, boosting motility and gut colonization while reducing immune detection in Salmonella.

• Why it matters: Understanding how prophages influence bacterial behavior can reveal strategies for immune evasion and colonization, crucial for managing infections and microbiome interactions.
• What they did: Walker et al. identified that a temperate prophage employs TldRs to repress host flagellin (fliC H ) and express its own isoform (fliC P ), leading to structural changes in flagella.
• The result: This remodeling enhances bacterial motility, diminishes TLR5 immune activation, and facilitates better gut colonization, highlighting prophage-driven adaptation mechanisms.