Provirus deletion from <i>Haloferax volcanii</i> affects motility, stress resistance, and CRISPR RNA expression.

ABSTRACT: Haloferax volcanii harbours four putative proviruses: Halfvol1, Halfvol2, Halfvol3, and Halfvol4. In this study, we successfully deleted all four provirus genomes, demonstrating, that they are not essential. Transcriptome comparison between this strain (∆Halfvol1-4) and a wild-type strain reveals an increase in archaella and chemotaxis gene expression, resulting in higher swarming motility in ∆Halfvol1-4. Furthermore, ∆Halfvol1-4 cells show an elongated cell shape and a higher resistance to H₂O₂ stress compared to the wild type. RNA-seq also revealed downregulation of CRISPR arrays in the provirus-free strain. Circularised genomes of Halfvol1, Halfvol2, and Halfvol3 were found in the culture supernatant of the wild-type strain. This confirms excision of the pro

SUBMITTER: Di Cianni N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12091111 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature