Human gut strains of <i>Desulfovibrio piger</i> exhibit spontaneous induction of multiple prophages

Gastrointestinal health has a significant impact on quality of life, and increasing profiling of the gut microbiome is identifying key players involved in disease states. However, evidence of the association of sulfate-reducing bacteria with pathologies, such as inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal cancer, conflicts with their prevalence in healthy subjects. Investigating the ecology of <i>D. piger</i> in the gut may be key to answering if and why it can be harmful and could inform future interventions. Here, we show that gut-associated <i>D. piger</i> strains carry multiple prophages, some of which are spontaneously released as bacteriophage particles in culture. Our results pave the way for future work to understand prophage release in gut conditions and its effects on <i>D. piger</i> populations.