Phage/prokaryote host ratio in gut

Range ~10 phage/prokaryotic host cell
Organism Human Homo sapiens
Reference Pfeiffer JK, Virgin HW. Viral immunity. Transkingdom control of viral infection and immunity in the mammalian intestine. Science. 2016 Jan 15 351(6270). pii: aad5872. doi: 10.1126/science.aad5872 p.aad5872-1 middle column bottom paragraphPubMed ID26816384
Primary Source [1] B. A. Duerkop, L. V. Hooper, Resident viruses and their interactions with the immune system. Nat. Immunol. 14, 654–659 (2013). doi: 10.1038/ni.2614 [4] H. W. Virgin, The virome in mammalian physiology and disease. Cell 157, 142–150 (2014). doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2014.02.032 [33] S. Minot, A. Bryson, C. Chehoud, G. D. Wu, J. D. Lewis, F. D. Bushman, Rapid evolution of the human gut virome. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 110, 12450–12455 (2013). doi: 10.1073/pnas.1300833110PubMed ID23778792, 24679532, 23836644
Comments P.aad5872-1 middle column bottom paragraph: "It is nevertheless clear that the viral contents of the intestine are remarkably complex (ref 2, primary source 4, refs 13, 29–31). It has been estimated that the intestine contains about 100 trillion prokaryotic cells (ref 32 BNID 100555), many of which carry temperate bacteriophages in their genomes. Bacteriophages that infect these prokaryotic organisms may be ~10-fold more abundant than their host cells (primary sources)."
Entered by Uri M
ID 113938