The sequence of two bacteriophages with hypermodified bases reveals novel phage-host interactions

Kropinski, Andrew; Turner, Dann; Nash, John; Ackermann, Hans Wolfgang; Lingohr, Erika; Warren, Richard; Ehrlich, Kenneth; Ehrlich, Melanie

Abstract

© 2018 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Bacteriophages SP-15 and ΦW-14 are members of the Myoviridae infecting Bacillus subtilis and Delftia (formerly Pseudomonas) acidovorans, respectively. What links them is that in both cases, approximately 50% of the thymine residues are replaced by hypermodified bases. The consequence of this is that the physico-chemical properties of the DNA are radically altered (melting temperature (Tm), buoyant density and susceptibility to restriction endonucleases). Using 454 pyrosequencing technology, we sequenced the genomes of both viruses. Phage ΦW-14 possesses a 157-kb genome (56.3% GC) specifying 236 proteins, while SP-15 is larger at 222 kb (38.6 mol % G + C) and encodes 318 proteins. In both cases, the phages can be considered genomic singletons since they do not possess BLASTn homologs. While no obvious genes were identified as being responsible for the modified base in ΦW-14, SP-15 contains a cluster of genes obviously involved in carbohydrate metabolism.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Apr 20, 2018
• Online Publication Date: Apr 24, 2018
• Publication Date: May 1, 2018
• Deposit Date: Apr 26, 2018
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 26, 2018
• Journal: Viruses
• Electronic ISSN: 1999-4915
• Publisher: MDPI
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 10
• Issue: 5
• Article Number: 217
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/v10050217
• Keywords: bacteriophage, hypermodified bases, alpha-putrescinylthymine, ΦW-14, SP-15, Bacillus, Delftia, DNA sequencing, 5-hydroxymethyluracil, 5-hydroxypentyluracil
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/869115
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/v10050217
• Contract Date: Apr 26, 2018