Engineering selectivity of Cutibacterium acnes phages by epigenetic imprinting

Researchers at Universitat Pompeu Fabra analysed the methylomes of six Cutibacterium acnes strains and showed that the killing specificity of phage PAD20 increases when its DNA acquires methylation from a methylation-competent strain. Phages propagated in restriction-modification-deficient strains selectively killed R-M deficient, acne-prone clades while probiotic clades stayed resistant.