학술논문
Whole genome comparison of a large collection of mycobacteriophages reveals a continuum of phage genetic diversity.
Document Type
Academic Journal
Author
Pope WH; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, United States.; Bowman CA; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, United States.; Russell DA; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, United States.; Jacobs-Sera D; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, United States.; Asai DJ; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, United States.; Cresawn SG; Department of Biology, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, United States.; Jacobs WR; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, United States.; Hendrix RW; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, United States.; Lawrence JG; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, United States.; Hatfull GF; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, United States.
Source
Publisher: eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 101579614 Publication Model: Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 2050-084X (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 2050084X NLM ISO Abbreviation: Elife Subsets: MEDLINE
Subject
Language
English
Abstract
The bacteriophage population is large, dynamic, ancient, and genetically diverse. Limited genomic information shows that phage genomes are mosaic, and the genetic architecture of phage populations remains ill-defined. To understand the population structure of phages infecting a single host strain, we isolated, sequenced, and compared 627 phages of Mycobacterium smegmatis. Their genetic diversity is considerable, and there are 28 distinct genomic types (clusters) with related nucleotide sequences. However, amino acid sequence comparisons show pervasive genomic mosaicism, and quantification of inter-cluster and intra-cluster relatedness reveals a continuum of genetic diversity, albeit with uneven representation of different phages. Furthermore, rarefaction analysis shows that the mycobacteriophage population is not closed, and there is a constant influx of genes from other sources. Phage isolation and analysis was performed by a large consortium of academic institutions, illustrating the substantial benefits of a disseminated, structured program involving large numbers of freshman undergraduates in scientific discovery.