PLoS ONE (Jan 2015)

Comparative genomics of Cluster O mycobacteriophages.

  • Steven G Cresawn,
  • Welkin H Pope,
  • Deborah Jacobs-Sera,
  • Charles A Bowman,
  • Daniel A Russell,
  • Rebekah M Dedrick,
  • Tamarah Adair,
  • Kirk R Anders,
  • Sarah Ball,
  • David Bollivar,
  • Caroline Breitenberger,
  • Sandra H Burnett,
  • Kristen Butela,
  • Deanna Byrnes,
  • Sarah Carzo,
  • Kathleen A Cornely,
  • Trevor Cross,
  • Richard L Daniels,
  • David Dunbar,
  • Ann M Findley,
  • Chris R Gissendanner,
  • Urszula P Golebiewska,
  • Grant A Hartzog,
  • J Robert Hatherill,
  • Lee E Hughes,
  • Chernoh S Jalloh,
  • Carla De Los Santos,
  • Kevin Ekanem,
  • Sphindile L Khambule,
  • Rodney A King,
  • Christina King-Smith,
  • Karen Klyczek,
  • Greg P Krukonis,
  • Christian Laing,
  • Jonathan S Lapin,
  • A Javier Lopez,
  • Sipho M Mkhwanazi,
  • Sally D Molloy,
  • Deborah Moran,
  • Vanisha Munsamy,
  • Eddie Pacey,
  • Ruth Plymale,
  • Marianne Poxleitner,
  • Nathan Reyna,
  • Joel F Schildbach,
  • Joseph Stukey,
  • Sarah E Taylor,
  • Vassie C Ware,
  • Amanda L Wellmann,
  • Daniel Westholm,
  • Donna Wodarski,
  • Michelle Zajko,
  • Thabiso S Zikalala,
  • Roger W Hendrix,
  • Graham F Hatfull

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0118725
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 10, no. 3
p. e0118725

Abstract

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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.