Comparative genomics of Cluster O mycobacteriophages

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 10; no. 3; p. e0118725
• Main Authors: Cresawn, Steven G, Pope, Welkin H, Jacobs-Sera, Deborah, Bowman, Charles A, Russell, Daniel A, Dedrick, Rebekah M, Adair, Tamarah, Anders, Kirk R, Ball, Sarah, Bollivar, David, Breitenberger, Caroline, Burnett, Sandra H, Butela, Kristen, Byrnes, Deanna, Carzo, Sarah, Cornely, Kathleen A, Cross, Trevor, Daniels, Richard L, Dunbar, David, Findley, Ann M, Gissendanner, Chris R, Golebiewska, Urszula P, Hartzog, Grant A, Hatherill, J Robert, Hughes, Lee E, Jalloh, Chernoh S, De Los Santos, Carla, Ekanem, Kevin, Khambule, Sphindile L, King, Rodney A, King-Smith, Christina, Klyczek, Karen, Krukonis, Greg P, Laing, Christian, Lapin, Jonathan S, Lopez, A Javier, Mkhwanazi, Sipho M, Molloy, Sally D, Moran, Deborah, Munsamy, Vanisha, Pacey, Eddie, Plymale, Ruth, Poxleitner, Marianne, Reyna, Nathan, Schildbach, Joel F, Stukey, Joseph, Taylor, Sarah E, Ware, Vassie C, Wellmann, Amanda L, Westholm, Daniel, Wodarski, Donna, Zajko, Michelle, Zikalala, Thabiso S, Hendrix, Roger W, Hatfull, Graham F
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 05.03.2015; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Base sequence; Bioinformatics; Biological evolution; Capsids; Clusters; Community colleges; Deoxyribonucleic acid; Developmental biology; DNA; DNA, Viral; Gene expression; Genetic Variation; Genome, Viral; Genomes; Genomics; Lactobacillus delbrueckii; Life sciences; Mycobacteriophages - genetics; Phages; Phylogeny; Proteins; Proteomics; Scholarships & fellowships; Transfer RNA; Viruses; United States; Rhode Island; United States > US; Texas; Illinois; Louisiana; South Africa; Ohio; Pittsburgh Pennsylvania; California; Arkansas; Wisconsin; Pennsylvania
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0118725

Mycobacteriophages--viruses of mycobacterial hosts--are genetically diverse but morphologically are all classified in the Caudovirales with double-stranded DNA and tails. We describe here a group of five closely related mycobacteriophages--Corndog, Catdawg, Dylan, Firecracker, and YungJamal--designated as Cluster O with long flexible tails but with unusual prolate capsids. Proteomic analysis of phage Corndog particles, Catdawg particles, and Corndog-infected cells confirms expression of half of the predicted gene products and indicates a non-canonical mechanism for translation of the Corndog tape measure protein. Bioinformatic analysis identifies 8-9 strongly predicted SigA promoters and all five Cluster O genomes contain more than 30 copies of a 17 bp repeat sequence with dyad symmetry located throughout the genomes. Comparison of the Cluster O phages provides insights into phage genome evolution including the processes of gene flux by horizontal genetic exchange.