A model virus-host system for chronic infections in prokaryotes: Viruses as symbionts?

Viruses are an integral and essential part of nature and perform important functions for their hosts and in our ecosystems. We have established a new prokaryotic virus-host model system in which the virus does not kill its host, but causes a long-term chronic infection. Chronic infections are well-known in eukaryotes, but only rarely discovered and poorly understood in prokaryotes. Our model system allows to study a chronic infection in a prokaryotic host in detail and to understand its implications for the host.