Filamentous bacteriophages and their role in the virulence and evolution of pathogenic bacteria

Filamentous bacteriophages of the genus Inovirus ( Inoviridae ) infect a number of gram-negative, and some gram-positive, bacteria. This review discusses contemporary data on the role of filamentous bacteriophages in the virulence and evolution of known pathogenic bacteria, such as V. cholerae , Yersinia pestis , Neisseria meningitides , Escherichia coli O18: K1: H7 , Pseudomonas aruginosa , and some pathogens of cultivars.