A Phage Protein Confers Resistance to the Lactococcal Abortive Infection Mechanism AbiP

Abstract
Phage bIL66M1 is sensitive to the lactococcal abortive infection mechanism AbiP. No spontaneous AbiP-resistant variant could be obtained at a frequency of −10 . However, AbiP-resistant variants were readily obtained during infection with both bIL66M1 and the highly homologous AbiP-resistant phage bIL170. Gain of AbiP resistance was due to the acquisition of the e6 gene from bIL170.