Virology Journal (Apr 2009)

The genome and proteome of a virulent <it>Escherichia coli </it>O157:H7 bacteriophage closely resembling <it>Salmonella </it>phage Felix O1

  • Waddell Thomas E,
  • Ackermann Hans-Wolfgang,
  • Ojha Shivani,
  • Mazzocco Amanda,
  • Lingohr Erika J,
  • Kropinski Andrew M,
  • She Yi-Min,
  • Villegas Andre,
  • Moyles Dianne M,
  • Ahmed Rafiq,
  • Johnson Roger P

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1743-422X-6-41
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 6, no. 1
p. 41

Abstract

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Abstract Based upon whole genome and proteome analysis, Escherichia coli O157:H7-specific bacteriophage (phage) wV8 belongs to the new myoviral genus, "the Felix O1-like viruses" along with Salmonella phage Felix O1 and Erwinia amylovora phage φEa21-4. The genome characteristics of phage wV8 (size 88.49 kb, mol%G+C 38.9, 138 ORFs, 23 tRNAs) are very similar to those of phage Felix O1 (86.16 kb, 39.0 mol%G+C, 131 ORFs and 22 tRNAs) and, indeed most of the proteins have their closest homologs within Felix O1. Approximately one-half of the Escherichia coli O157:H7 mutants resistant to phage wV8 still serotype as O157:H7 indicating that this phage may recognize, like coliphage T4, two different surface receptors: lipopolysaccharide and, perhaps, an outer membrane protein.