The fitness effects of random mutations in single-stranded DNA and RNA bacteriophages.

ABSTRACT: Mutational fitness effects can be measured with relatively high accuracy in viruses due to their small genome size, which facilitates full-length sequencing and genetic manipulation. Previous work has shown that animal and plant RNA viruses are very sensitive to mutation. Here, we characterize mutational fitness effects in single-stranded (ss) DNA and ssRNA bacterial viruses. First, we performed a mutation-accumulation experiment in which we subjected three ssDNA (PhiX174, G4, F1) and three ssRNA phages (Qbeta, MS2, and SP) to plaque-to-plaque transfers and chemical mutagenesis. Genome sequencing and growth assays indicated that the average fitness effect of the accumulated mutations was similar in the two groups. Second, we used site-directed mutagenesis to obtain 45 clones of PhiX174 and

SUBMITTER: Domingo-Calap P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2776273 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature