An increase in environmental temperature within the growth range suppresses phage resistance in <i>Escherichia coli</i>

The application of phages in agriculture and food-producing environments often faces challenges in the control of phage-resistant bacteria. To effectively address this issue, a deeper understanding of the unique phenotypes associated with phage resistance is warranted. Few studies have suppressed the regrowth of phage-resistant populations without using antibiotics, based on detailed phenotypic characterization. Here, we report that the phage-resistant <i>Escherichia coli</i> population selected by lytic phage S127 was sensitive to elevated temperature and decreased viability at 46°C. Furthermore, Congo Red binding and autoaggregation, which have been reported to exhibit unique behaviors in <i>E. coli</i> deep rough mutants, were dependent on high culture temperature. Our findings highlight a novel, exploitable phenotype of phage resistance in host bacteria that could be applied to the biocontrol of phage resistance in foodborne pathogens without the use of antibiotics in practical settings.